The Vacation they Took
by ecv
Summary: My entry to the Bonesology Summer Challenge. I will be using the given list of words to craft a story. Summary: After a string of tough cases Booth and Brennan take a vacation overseas.
1. Chapter 1 - Air Conditioning and Muggy

_This is going to be a long author's note…_

_~ This story can be considered an almost sequel to The Promises they Kept - I am keeping Booth and Brennan married and together as they ended up in that story. And, no, I won't be breaking them up, but there will be some bumps along the way. A little angst, a lot of love, and a few surprises are guaranteed._

_~ I will be referencing things from the first story, but you don't have to read it to enjoy this one._

_~ Again, this story will be 100% AU. I may be borrowing ideas and timelines from other seasons to use here._

_~ This is for the Bonesology Summer Challenge. I will be taking the provided list of words and using one or several in each chapter to craft one story. _

_~ As always, authors appreciate follows, favorites and reviews. Especially if you are enjoying the story. So if you have a moment, I'd love to hear from you._

_~ And, I don't own Bones._

_Synopsis: After a tough series of cases, Brennan and Booth need a break from crime solving. But will a vacation in Greece be what they need? And what will they discover along the way?_

_OoOoOo_

The headlights of the SUV pierced the inky blackness as Booth drove them toward home.

In the passenger seat, Brennan sat in silence. A situation that had been too common between them lately. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Talk of cases and death had dominated their lives, but little of what was going on inside their own heads.

And Booth was quickly realizing what a mistake that was. Because now that his mind was twisting over facts and suspects, it was thinking about his wife. And himself. She seemed miserable. And he knew he was.

When had it started? He couldn't even come up with a specific date. But he knew it couldn't continue. It was time to change something to break this pattern they were stuck in.

It bothered him that they'd been feeling this way for weeks and neither of them had said anything.

The summer was sultry outside the vehicle, the muggy air threatening rain that never came. One storm to wash away the heat. Was that what he and Bones needed? A storm to wash away whatever had fallen between them? Or over them.

Three years since their drunken wedding in Las Vegas. Three years since he'd persuaded her to stay married to him. The ring he wore was engraved with two dates: the first wedding neither recalled clearly and the second held in front of Angela and Hodgins.

He'd never regretted any of it, except maybe that first wedding. But if it had brought her to his side, it was worth it. But now, there was something not quite right about the two of them.

Booth kept stealing glances at her as he drove, but keeping them on the road prevented him from keeping his eyes on her.

"I love you, Bones," he said, just to break the silence in the vehicle. It was both a statement and reminder of what he felt for her. What the two of them had accomplished together. "It's been a long month. Hopefully that's over now."

But she didn't respond. Booth knew she was exhausted. Her head rested against the back of the seat and her eyes had closed several miles before. But he knew she hadn't fallen asleep.

She was putting up walls, had been putting them up to help her get through the rough string of cases they'd faced. He'd let her do that temporarily, but there was no way those walls were going to be a permanent feature between them.

"I don't think I want to do this anymore, Booth," she said not turning from the window. They were the first words she'd said to in almost a half an hour. "At least, not right now."

"Do what?" he asked, relieved that she'd finally said something. His voice was level but he touched the wedding band around his finger. It was the only outward sign that her words had made his stomach drop. What didn't she want to do anymore? Their marriage? Had he really been so focused on the cases that he didn't see how miserable she was about something? Had she reached out for help when he'd been too blind to see it?

Lifting her head, she turned toward him, her sigh filled the space inside the vehicle. "Solve crimes. Look at people who were murdered by people they thought were friends, or worse, their own family." Voice hitching slightly at the end, he thought she might start crying. "I can't deal with another dead child right now."

Okay, he thought. That was something he could work with.

The last few weeks, maybe even the whole month, had been miserable. Cases that never seemed to stop. Sometimes they got weeks between cases. Lately they'd barely had hours. They'd been pulled into a serial killer case that involved children. Late nights at the lab looking at the bodies of victims and endless interviews with people Booth wished he'd had a reason to arrest.

They were coming from the one of those interviews now, the difference being Booth had been able to make an arrest. But only after listening to the man confess to the killing of seven children in the span of about three months. Runaways. Homeless kids. Children he thought no one would miss. It was enough to make anyone not want to do this job anymore.

And if that wasn't enough, the two cases before that had also involved children. Ten victims in the span of a single month was bad enough. Ten dead children? That was enough to make anyone heartsick.

Booth glanced toward her again to see she'd gone back to staring out the passenger window, preventing him from seeing what was on her face. But he knew without being able to see. Her eyes were shadowed, haunted by what she'd seen. And not just when she was awake. There had been nightmares too. At lest he assumed that's what was going on when she left their bed in the middle of the night.

That was something he hadn't missed. Her inability to sleep a full night at his side. She'd always been able to hide herself from the rest of the world, but the longer they were together, the less able she'd been to do it with him.

Brennan could feel his eyes on her but she didn't turn toward him. Instead, she rested her head against the cool glass of the window and kept her eyes closed. She was almost too tired to be worried about the fact that Booth kept looking at her like she was going to fall apart.

She wasn't. This wasn't the first time this had happened. But in the past, she'd simply signed up for an anthropological dig and disappeared for a month or two. Now she had the Jeffersonian and Booth. Brennan wasn't sure of the protocol she was supposed to follow to take a break.

So a broad statement about not wanting to do this job anymore, even if she meant she didn't want to do this job anymore, _right now. _If she got a break, a chance to rest and recharge, she'd be fine.

Reaching out, Booth turned the air conditioner down. But the cold inside the SUV wasn't from the air blowing across their skin, but from her unhappiness. And his as well.

"Okay," he said. Arguing wasn't going to be the best choice. He wanted to. There was no way he could do his job without her. But if Bones felt unhappy then they had to do something about it. "Have you thought about what you might like to do instead? Do you want a permanent change or just a break?"

Her head turned toward him and her look was miserable enough that Booth pulled the SUV over to the curb and shifted it into park. Turning in his seat, he reached out and took her hand into his. Now, he twisted her wedding band instead of his own.

Both sets of eyes drifted down toward the ring before coming back up to stare at each other. She was devastatingly beautiful despite her unhappiness and Booth reached up to brush his hand across her cheek. "Talk to me, Bones. Whatever it is, we can work through it."

They'd come so far together. Fought all the battles, both figurative and literal, side by side. But this time she was trying to do it alone.

"For now," she whispered. "I think. But I don't want you to be disappointed in that. With me."

"Whatever this is, I'm more concerned with you. If you need a break, then we'll take one. And I'm not angry and certainly wouldn't be disappointed in you, Bones. I'm worried. About both of us." His eyes turned from her to look toward the front of the vehicle. "I need a break too."

When had she quit leaning on him? What had he done to make her think she couldn't?

When had he quit leaning on her?

"I thought I was hiding it," she said. "Or at least coping well enough. Did you know Angela and Hodgins might take a vacation?"

Humming an agreement, Booth waited for her to say what was going on in that brain of hers. But the silence stretched on and he finally put the SUV back in drive and headed back toward their place. "When we get home, Bones, you are talking to me. Or rather, we are taking to each other."

She shook her head. There weren't a lot of option that she was aware of that would take care of this. "I'll be okay, Booth. The cases have been coming one after another and I feel like I can't breathe. Especially after this last one. I'm just tired. Hopefully things will slow down."

It's more than tired. He could see it in the way her shoulders slumped when she thought no one was watching. "When was the last time you did something besides work on cases?" he asked. "Worked on your novel or even read a scientific journal?"

"Too long," she replied. Booth knew she could tell him down to the minute how long it's been, but she won't even give him that.

He'd always been careful not to push. Sometimes it made her close up even more. But Booth won't watch this go on. If she doesn't lean against him and allow him to help, she was going to crumble beneath the weight of what she was carrying.

As soon as he pulled into the driveway of their house, Booth shut the car off and hurried to the passenger side. They'd given the apartment up almost two years ago, moving into a house with a spacious backyard. He'd thought and hoped that it meant she was ready to talk about children, but there was always something getting in the way. Another case. Travel that couldn't be avoided. He was starting to wonder if they were just making excuses.

Brennan opened her door to see him standing there with his hand out. There was no smile, but she did put her hand in his. "Come on," he said. "We are going to sit out back and talk about this."

Her face hardened, but Booth wasn't taking no for an answer. Leading her, he pulled her toward the backyard where a pair of chairs were placed. When was the last time they'd spent any time out there together, just talking like the used to do? It pained Booth that he couldn't quite remember.

"Sit, Bones," he said, pointing at the chairs. "I'm going to go get us some beer and then we are going to spend some time out here."

Too tired to argue, she chose a seat and almost fell into it. Booth watched a minute to make sure she was going to stay then hurried into the house, returning with beer.

Handing her a bottle, Booth took the second chair. They were positioned close enough that he could hold her hand comfortably and he reached out to take it. "What's up, Bones? Why would you think I'd be mad at you? Or disappointed?"

She looked at the bottle but didn't drink, placing it carefully on the arm chair. Eyes closing, she leaned her head back against the chair before opening them again to stare at the sky. "What if I don't want to be your partner anymore?"

His stomach clenched so hard that his own drink of beer stuck in his throat. Coughing slightly, he forced it down. Bones had a way of saying one thing and meaning something entirely different. "You want me to find you a different agent to work with?"

"What? Why would you think something like that?" she asked. Her blue eyes turned toward him. The genuine confusion alleviated some of the nausea that had assaulted him with her statement.

"Because you just told me you didn't want to be my partner," he pointed out.

"Oh. That's not what I meant."

"I figured," Booth said, even if his reaction was the total opposite of understanding her. "What did you mean?"

"I meant that I think I might need a break from what we do. From murdered bodies and crime that never ends. From children buried in anonymous graves." He couldn't see her well, but heard her shoulders move against the chair in what he assumed was a shrug. "But that's what we do. It's who we are."

Booth disagreed. "It's not who we are, Bones. We are so much more than that." He paused to take another drink from the bottle in his hand. "What would you like to do instead? Do you have any ideas? I just admitting to needing a break as well." It was the same question he'd asked her in the SUV, but he was curious as to what she was thinking.

"I don't know," she said, the words echoing in the silence of the night. "Anything I choose to do will take me away from you and that is not something I'm willing to think about. Or even consider."

That was the other problem. Brennan wouldn't take a break without Booth. Was it fair to ask him to come with her if she was going to be a miserable travel companion? There was a chance she'd lock herself in a hotel for two weeks and refuse to leave, doing nothing but focusing on her novel. How fun would that be for him?

"Bones," he said patiently. "Nothing you do in life will ever take you away from me. I love you. Choosing to do something else for a while isn't the same as walking away from what we have together. Those are separate issues. And you don't ever have to think I don't understand that our jobs can be too much sometimes."

The smile she gave him was sad enough to break his heart. "I love you, too. I've been to mass graves and worked on worse cases than this." Her hand squeezed his when she couldn't come up with words to explain exactly what she felt. "But I don't think I can handle another case right now. I need a break. And I don't want to take it here."


	2. Chapter 2 - Hiking and Backpacking

She'd been thinking about it for a couple of days. To speak the words was a relief.

But Booth didn't say anything right away. It made her nervous. He'd admitted to needing his own break. Was it too much to ask to leave the city for a time? It felt like a small request. His silence made her feel like she'd read the whole thing incorrectly.

"I'm sorry," she said. Standing quickly, she tugged her hand from his. "I'll be okay. Hopefully this rush of cases will slow and I can get a break. I only want you for a partner, Booth. I'm sorry that you thought otherwise."

"Bones," he said, but she turned and headed into the house. Her bottle of beer sat untouched on the arm of the chair where she'd left it.

Shaking his head in frustration, Booth retrieved the drinks he'd brought out only minutes before and followed her into the house. Taking care of what she'd abandoned, Booth used the time to think about how he might be able to help her. And himself.

A break from crime and solving cases wasn't going to happen if they stayed in DC. There would always be someone there to pressure them to take some case no one else could solve. If he was going to help her, force her to help herself, they were going to have to leave the city.

He wanted a break too. He should tell her that so Bones didn't feel so guilty about her own feelings. Some time where the only thing he had to worry about was making sure he and Bones were happy. More than happy. Content. He wanted that for the two of them more desperately than even his wife knew.

Moving down the hall, he heard the shower running in the master bathroom. He was tempted to join her, to give her something else to think about for a few minutes, but he knew that was only a temporary solution. Instead, he continued to her office, turning on the light and pushing the door closed behind him.

He didn't often come in here, though Bones made sure he knew he was always welcome to. But her rigid since of organization was apparent and he always had the urge to mess something up so it wasn't that way. Tonight her need to keep everything in order was going to help him with this task.

In her file cabinet was a folder bursting at the seams. Pulling it out, he took it to her desk and opened it. Inside, in order by date, were all of the requests she received that related to her position as a well known forensic anthropologist. Some were requests to talk about techniques she'd developed while working with him. Others were requests to have her lead or offer her expertise on digs that involved ancient remains.

That's what he looked for now. His wife desperately needed a break from crime and he thought this might be a way to get her one. A few weeks or a month in a foreign country, away from the life they'd lived for years might give her what she needed to feel like herself again.

A vacation that wasn't quite a vacation. A chance for her brain to think about something besides murder. She'd last a week, maybe two if they took a traditional vacation. They'd tried, several times, and that was about as long as she could handle before wanting to get back to work. But this might be able to keep her away longer.

And if at the end of that time, she still didn't want to work with him in that capacity anymore, they would deal with that then.

Even if that meant he would probably have to change careers as well. Or at least the parameters of his job. He didn't want to work as a desk, but could as the supervisor of his department. But he'd still have to liaison with the Jeffersonian. There wasn't another agent he could think of that would deal well with the bucket of crazy he considered friends.

Pushing that worry aside, he focused on the papers in front of him. That was a problem for a different day.

He heard the shower go off in the master bath as he sorted through the last of the offers. Off to one side were at least ten requests for her to assist on digs. Some he discarded as options almost immediately. Booth had no intention of backpacking or hiking into where they needed to go or being so isolated Rebecca wouldn't be able to find him if something happened to Parker.

He needed one that was close enough to an airport he could get home if he needed to. And close enough to civilization there was something to do when Bones was working.

Finally, he settled on three. Taking them he returned everything else to the folder and put it away. With a small smile, he moved a couple of things around on her desk, knowing she would notice the next time she was in the room.

"Bones?" he said, knocking on the door. Reaching down to turn the knob, he was surprised to find she'd locked it. It was so out of the ordinary that he froze for a moment, trying to decipher what it meant. "Bones?" he repeated. "Why did you lock the door?"

Sweets would have a field day with that one. Some psycho babble about how the locking of the bathroom door was a physical manifestation of her locking him out of whatever she was thinking.

It only pissed Booth off more to know that assessment was probably inaccurate and he shouldn't have thought that way to begin with. Trusting Bones had never been an issue before. It shouldn't be an issue now.

The lock clicked almost immediately as she opened the door to let him in. "Sorry, Booth. I didn't even think about it. I guess I wasn't really paying attention to what I was doing. Just tired."

More concerning actions that helped him decide he was doing the right thing. A plan, even if the details would need to be worked out. "Come to the kitchen with me, Bones. I have an idea that might help both of us."

Tilting her head slightly, she studied his face before nodding. It hadn't occurred to her that Booth might also need some time away. "I'd be interested to hear your idea," she said softly, padding through their bedroom on bare feet.

She wore a pair of his sweats and one of his t-shirts. It was an outward sign of how miserable she was that only he recognized. He wasn't even sure Bones knew she tended to do things like that when she was upset.

Shit. Bones had worked too hard and let herself get rundown. Would he ever be able to forgive himself for letting this get so bad? When this storm passed, there were going to be some changes on how they dealt with each other during stressful cases. And how much time they spent away from home doing things that could easily wait until morning.

They clothes were so big on her they almost swallowed her up. But Booth didn't say anything about it, not wanting to make her even more uncomfortable.

His eyes were on her again and Brennan felt self-conscious. Sick of being studied, Brennan hurried toward the kitchen. She'd love to ask him what he was looking for. That kind of question would probably lead to things she wasn't ready to deal with, so she let it slide.

After she sat, Booth placed all three letters in front of her. "I think you should do one of these," he said.

Her eyes quickly perused what he'd placed in front of her, growing wider each passing second. "You want me to leave?" she asked softly. In her lap, she squeezed her hands into fists so tight, her nails cut into her skin.

It had been one of her biggest fears after their marriage. That her heart wouldn't be big enough to do this and he would choose not to stay. And now it seemed to be coming true.

"No, damn it," he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I want you to take a break. I want us to take a break. We both need this," he emphasized, knowing Bones thought he was trying to get rid of her.

"But," she said, pushing at the letter in the middle, "these are all offers for excavations on the other side of the world. Which means you want me to take a break away from you."

Sighing, he knelt next to her and took her chin in his hand, forcing her eyes to his. "Do you really think for a single second that I'd let you go to any of these places without me. Where you go, I go. Period. You need a break and whatever you decide, I'm going with you."

Brennan had been so sure he was walking away from her that it took a moment for the words to make sense. Slowly, she opened her fists and wiped them on the pants she wore. But her eyes remained on his, looking to see if he meant what he claimed. "You want to go with me? To one of those places? What will you do there?"

"Same thing I always do," he said, releasing her chin. She turned back to the letters and looked at them with renewed interest. "Worry about you. Make sure you're eating. Sit on a beach and drink. Hell, I don't know, Bones. But what I do know is you can't continue on this way. You're one case away from completely falling apart. And I love you too much to let something like that happen if I can prevent it."

"I'm not going to fall apart, Booth," she said, annoyed that he thought so. "Needing a break is not the same as falling apart. I'm not weak."

He'd encouraged her into opening her heart and letting him in after their impromptu wedding in Las Vegas several years before. A consequence was that she now had a harder time maintaining the wall that protected her from feeling too much at once. These cases, and the feelings they evoked, were overwhelming her.

And least, that's what he assumed was going on.

Her huge heart was something she'd carefully protected. Booth was starting to understand why. She'd had to, in order to accomplish all that she'd done.

"What about you?" she asked, knowing she wasn't the only one suffering. The full weight of her stare landed on him. "Are you telling me that none of what we've dealt with in the last month has haunted you?"

Arms crossed over his chest, he met the stare. "No, it's bothered me too. Which is why this trip is for both of us."

She broke the stare and pushed the letters away from her. "You picked something only I would be interested in doing. How is that for both of us? I don't want to work or go on excavations, Booth." It figured he'd put her first and not think of himself. But she wasn't letting that happen.

"So what am I supposed to do, Bones? Watch you keep working until you are so exhausted you collapse? Cause that's not happening." His voice was frustrated.

No, he definitely wouldn't let her do that. "You are supposed to ask what I want. Not tell me what you think I should do. I can make my own decisions. And we should decide this together."

He pulled out a chair and sat next to her. "What do you want, Bones?" he asked.

Reaching out, Brennan pulled the letters back toward her. "Why these three?" she asked curiously, tapping her finger on one. "Why did you choose these three?"

Booth shrugged. "Location. Ease of getting to an airport. Things for me to do while you worked. Why?"

Her eyes narrowed, considering what he'd said. "I want a vacation, Booth. Something I know I'm not very good at," she admitted catching the look on his face. "I want sun and sand. Not concrete and death. Can't we just go on vacation?"

Brennan's eyes met his and Booth saw everything she had been trying to hide. The exhaustion and the fear that he'd be disappointed in her if she took a break. He was sure his eyes looked the same, even if she didn't recognize it. "Come here, Bones," he ordered gently.

She hesitated before sliding from her own seat to settle herself into his lap. Tucking her head beneath his chin, Booth wrapped tight arms around her. "What about Parker?" she asked. "Isn't your camping trip scheduled?"

"What about us?" But he knew she'd put everyone else before herself. Especially the child she loved without reservation. "I can talk to Rebecca. Move some things around with Parker. We can make this work, Bones. Is this really what you want? To go on a vacation?"

Brennan wasn't sure she'd be able to sit still that long, but she wanted to try. Pulling back, she gave him a tentative smile. "Yes, I'd like to go. On a vacation."


	3. Chapter 3 - Travel and Shorts

Once everything was in motion, there was no stopping it. Brennan, asking Booth to trust her, made all their travel arrangements.

Now that they were going, she wanted to spoil him. She knew it would annoy him to have her spending that kind of money, but she wanted to do something entirely different from their every day lives and she hoped he would understand that.

Booth folded another pair of shorts and added it to the pile. The only thing Bones would tell him was that they were flying to Greece. He'd actually had to look up what kind of clothes to pack for the two week vacation. Bones tried to tell him, but the simple conversation about clothes had turned into a much longer conversation about the climate variations in the country.

He'd finally just nodded his head while she talked and looked up the information on his own. Wasn't the first time that had happened. Booth never had the heart to stop her when she went off on tangents like that and he'd even learned a thing or two. Not that he'd tell Bones that.

She was relaxing as each second passed and Booth was grateful for it. She'd only woken once the previous night and while she'd risen from their bed, eventually she'd returned. He'd pulled her into his arms and together they'd slept until the alarm went off.

Booth had considered asking about the dream, but let it go. She'd tell him when she was ready.

At least, he hoped she would. Something still felt not quite right between them, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. He caught himself watching her at odd moments, not sure what he was looking for.

Perhaps it was the fact that Bones had thrown herself into the preparation with a single minded focus she reserved for work. Whatever haunted her, whether those last few cases or something else, wasn't going to go away unless she faced it. Burying it beneath preparations to travel and thoughts of Greece was only going to make it that much worse when she let go.

And there were his own issues from working too much and having too little time with her. He hadn't realized how much he'd come to depend on her own brand of quiet strength until he'd barely been able to see her. Now, he found himself watching her, liked he watched suspects, sure she was hiding something from him.

It was a crazy notion and it was making him edgy that he couldn't let these past cases go. He couldn't look at his friends, or his own wife, like she was some sort of suspect. Bones had done nothing wrong. It wasn't fair to her and it certainly wasn't good for their marriage.

"Booth, are you sure about this?" Brennan asked for what had to be the tenth time. If he thought she didn't notice the concerned looks, he was being foolish. While she might not always understand what was going on, she always noticed it. "We can go to a different country if you'd like. Some place closer to home. And Rebecca was okay with rescheduling things?"

They worked side by side in their bedroom, deciding what to pack and what to leave behind. It was two weeks away from home. And while they could probably purchase anything they forgot, it was easier just to take it with them.

He took a deep breath to calm himself, then gave up. Maybe if she saw his annoyance she'd quit asking such a stupid question. "Are you going, Bones?" he asked bluntly, dropping another handful of clothes in his suitcase with a thud. "Did you plan some sort of vacation for the two of us, or is this a trip for one?"

There wasn't a suit or tie in the pile. When was the last time he'd traveled without one? Had they been on a real vacation since their honeymoon? Perhaps they were just running away from home and by extension the problems they didn't want to face. Or was he just making up problems and it was nothing more than exhaustion.

Except for the nightmares. And the fact she wasn't eating as well. Nope, she wasn't telling him something. Didn't want to worry him would be his guess.

Shit. He had to quit listening to Sweets and stop reading more into every action they took. It had been a rough few weeks and they needed a vacation. It was nothing more complicated than that.

Brennan clearly heard the annoyance in his voice. And knew it was probably directed at her. "I planned the vacation for both of us, Booth." She tilted her head and looked at him. "Why would you think I want to go alone? I just want to make sure you enjoy it as much as I do."

She knew Booth thought there was something more going on. And despite her reassuring him that is was nothing, he wasn't listening. It was frustrating that he looked at her like she was about to fall apart. She wasn't even close. Why did wanting to take a break with her husband elicit such concern? Didn't married couples go on vacation?

In the past, she would have just packed up and gone on one of the digs he suggested. Alone. Did he not know what a huge step it was for her to recognize she needed a break and want to take it with another person?

Yes, there was the nightmares. But even they weren't that bad. Just confusing and twisted and not clearly remembered when she woke. Nothing that a break wouldn't take care of. But if Booth didn't quit acting so strange toward her, she was going to explode.

Going without him wasn't an option. What a ridiculous notion. But she was so afraid of making him miserable with her decisions about this trip she kept asking the same question over and over again. It seemed that he'd finally reached his limit.

He followed her answer with another question. "Do you not want me to go?"

It figured he would think that. But it was the furthest thing from the truth.

"I don't want you to be miserable because you think I'll need taking care of," she tried to explain. "I want a vacation, for both of us." The last thing she wanted to do was make him feel that he needed to watch her in some way.

"That's a nice answer that totally avoided the question." Booth, who'd been almost done with packing, started taking clothing back out of his suitcase. "Two questions, neither with a clear answer. I thought you'd quit doing that, at least with me."

It hurt him that she had suddenly decided to not be straightforward with him.

It hurt her that he thought she wasn't telling the truth.

Her eyes followed his movements. "What are you doing?"

"I would think it's pretty obvious, Bones. I'm unpacking everything that I packed. You seem to think that it's okay for you to take a vacation to Greece, but that it's not okay for me. If you needed two weeks away from me as well, you should have just said so. But you keep asking if I really want to go, which makes me think you don't want me to. So if that's how you feel, I won't."

Booth looked up and waited for her to say anything. When she didn't speak, he continued to unpack.

What had just happened? Brennan wasn't entirely sure and when she replayed the conversation, she couldn't figure out where it went wrong. Maybe Booth was just as stressed as she was and wasn't hiding it as well now.

"Are you okay, Booth?" she finally asked him. "I've noticed you watching me all the time."

"Fine," he snapped. But he continued to take clothes out of his suitcase.

She let him continue until it was almost empty. Then she stepped around the bed to close and zip the suitcase so he couldn't finish. "I think that I am not the only one who is a little stressed out. I think that I am making you nervous for some reason."

He turned to see her sitting serenely on the bed, leaning comfortably on the closed suitcase. There was no way he was getting to it without physically moving her. And one look at her face let him know that she knew it.

"Yes, I'm stressed, Bones," he muttered. He took a deep breath through his nose and released it slowly. "It's been a long month. And now you're having nightmares and aren't eating. I just feel like I missed something."

Cases involving children were bad enough. Brennan had stood over their remains and did the best she could to not think too hard about it. But Booth had faced all those grieving families. At least the ones they could find. Somehow, the two victims they couldn't find any family for were worse than all the rest.

There were lines around his eyes that hadn't been there before. Brennan knew he was struggling as much as she was. Maybe more. "My nightmares aren't even that bad, Booth. I've had worse. There is nothing there to tell you. And I often forget to eat. I know you take me to lunch all the time because you think I won't eat if you don't."

"Your nightmares are driving you from bed. You haven't slept a full night in weeks, I'm guessing." She saw the guilt pass over his face that he wasn't sure. "And you not eating seems worse than normal."

She nodded and Booth wasn't sure if that meant she agreed or disagreed. Without a word, she went to her own suitcase and started removing items. If he wasn't going, then neither would she. Brennan figured she could just hide in the house for two weeks and work on her novel. But she wasn't going somewhere Booth wasn't.

She'd returned the first load to her dresser and was reaching for the second when Booth's hand clamped down on her wrist. "Bones, what are you doing?" He kept his hand on her wrist, but relaxed his grip.

Her eyes went first to his hand, then to his face. "I would think it was obvious, Booth," she said, repeating his earlier words back to him. "If you aren't going, I'm not going. Seems simple to me."

Dropping her hand, he stepped back and swore creatively.

It might have made her laugh under different circumstances. But he would have misunderstood her amusement. Turning away from her, Booth went to the window and looked out at their backyard. There hadn't been time for a barbecue either and that pissed him off too. When had their jobs become their entire lives?

Coming up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and felt him stiffen in her embrace. Unable to see his face, Brennan couldn't make any guesses about what he was thinking. But the tension in his body make it clear he wasn't expecting her to say anything good.

So she made it simple. "I want you to go. I wouldn't go on vacation without you. So repack your suitcase. Our plane leaves soon." And left him standing there to finish her own work.

Brennan was almost packed for the second time when he turned back toward her. "Sorry," he said, going back to his dresser for the clothes he'd put away.

"You should be for ever thinking I wouldn't want to go on vacation with you. My questions are to make sure you are comfortable with me making all the plans." She paused while folding a pair of shorts. "I can tell you what we are doing if it makes you feel better."

Thinking of the work she'd put in, the hours spent on the phone, Booth shook his head. "I'll wait." He unzipped his suitcase and started returning the clothes to it.

The silence between them stretched and Booth knew they couldn't start the trip this way.

"So," he said with a small grin, hoping he hadn't ruined this vacation before it started, "do I get to watch the sun come up with you in Greece?"

Hearing the suggestion in his voice, Brennan laughed softly. "We'll be able to watch the sun rise and see the sky changes when it sets. We'll be surrounded by people and it will be wonderfully private. We may not want to leave."

"That's pretty romantic sounding for you, Bones."

Their eyes met and beneath the exhaustion was excitement at having nothing to think about but each other.

"I hope it will be," she said softly.

"Then let's finish packing and get going. I've never made love to you in Greece before."


	4. Chapter 4 - Rest and Relax

_Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews. _

"Wow," Booth said, looking around him. "I didn't figure I'd get any rest on a this flight. But first class? This is quite the plan you've come up with." Leaning, he looked out the window again, even though he could see nothing but ocean beneath them.

He'd been enthralled since the moment they boarded the aircraft for the flight to Greece. She was flipping through a magazine, relishing the idea that there was nothing more strenuous required of her. A vacation and two weeks of freedom with Booth. What more could she ask for?

Brennan smiled at his boyish enthusiasm. It did her good to know she could still make him happy. And that it wasn't the only surprise waiting for him. "I am quite happy with what I've come up with for the two of us. This is only the beginning," she promised.

They were somewhere over the Atlantic, winging their way toward what Brennan hoped would be a relaxing few weeks. There was nothing required of her, no murder victims to look at. No excavation to think about.

Only Booth. Even when he was making her crazy, she still didn't want anyone else.

It should have made her anxious, the thought that there was nothing for her to do. Instead if felt perfect.

Letting her eyes drift, she caught the curious look on Booth's face. It figured he'd be trying to figure out what was better than first class.

He looked at her. There were still circles under her eyes but he could see the tension leaving her shoulders as each minute passed. He wondered if the same was happening to him. Leaving looked like it had been the best plan. For both of them. "Better than this," Booth said, settling into the seat. "I find that hard to believe."

It was hard for him to let her to pay for things. But taking care of him gave her something else to think about. And it made his heart happy to see her happy. So he'd let her have this one.

Their flight had taken off on time and Booth couldn't wait to see Greece. He'd been to many parts of Europe but that was one country there was no stamp in his passport for. Bones was going to take care of that for him.

"Trust me," she said, patting his hand. "It only gets better from here. And you deserve this."

"Thanks, Bones. But you didn't have to get first class for us." He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss before settling back into his seat. "These seats are much nicer than those in the back." He stretched his legs out and smiled at the room he had.

"I've never had this much room when I flew in the past," he continued. "And I don't even want to think about some of the transport I suffered through when I was serving. Barely room to stretch out and all the other guys squished in next to you. Yes," he said, stretching his arms out now, "definitely nicer."

Accepting water from the stewardess, Brennan ignored Booth's concern about what else she might have done for them. "I upgraded," she said simply. "I have no desire to fly in coach for twelve hours. Besides, it isn't good for your back. This will allow you to be more comfortable."

"Just remember that this trip isn't about me, Bones. Or just about me. It's about both of us. I don't want you spending a ton of money to make sure I'm comfortable. I hope you planned some things you want to enjoy too."

He had a feeling he knew exactly what some of those things would be. But he could usually find something that interested him wherever they went.

"Like museums?" Laughing softly, she took a sip of her drink. "It's my money. I'll spend it how I want. Sometimes," she said, tapping the wedding band he wore, "I even do a pretty good job at shopping. Besides, we've barely been able to spend any time together lately. Just let me do this for you, okay?"

He grabbed her free hand and brought it to his lips. "I've missed you," he said. "We definitely haven't caught a break lately, have we?" Shaking himself, he gave her a happy grin. "Do I dare hope we'll be near a beach? I love the way you look in a suit, Bones."

"You like the way I look out of one too," she teased. "And quit trying to find out more information. You'll just have to wait and see."

"You've got this all planned out, don't you?" he asked. "And you pulled it off in a short amount of time." When she gave him an annoyed glance, he held up both hands in surrender. "I'm not trying to find anything out. Just making a point. You always know what you plan to do from one moment to the next. Figured you'd be the same way about this trip."

A vacation with Bones would be interesting. Leaving everything behind and going to a different country was something they hadn't done together. Would she manage a vacation with no set plans? Or would she attempt to fill every minute with some new adventure, most of which would be educational? Booth had no doubt it would be interesting either way.

She shot him a smile. "Yes, I've planned my life out. Right up until the moment I woke up married to you. Because I don't think that was ever part of my plan." His smile was immediate. "Then I figured out that sometimes not having a plan works too. There aren't any firm plans when we get there. Plenty of free time for the two of us." The gaze she gave him turned suggestive.

"Sounds amazing," he said, shifting in his seat. She smiled, knowing exactly what she was doing to him before looking back at her magazine. "And you aren't the only one who needed a break," he admitted, not wanting her to feel alone with that emotion. "Don't forget that part."

Another case like the last and Booth wasn't sure he'd want to do his job any longer either. But it hadn't bled into his dreams or made him stop eating. He'd been sure Bones had simply been hyper focused on the case and the victims. Instead, the case had apparently wormed its way into her life outside of the Lab.

Would he ever not blame himself for failing to notice?

He'd made it his job, even before their marriage, to make sure he was looking out for her. At first, it was because he wanted to maintain his good standing with the FBI. At least, that's what he told himself. But as time passed, taking care of her gave him an excuse to always be in her life, even when she wasn't sure she wanted him there.

Then there was their marriage. Booth had worked so hard to get her to stay. Now he didn't have to pretend that he cared as a friend. He could admit to her and himself that he did it because he loved her.

Brennan saw the shadows come over his face and tilted her head. It hurt to know that it was probably because he was concerned about her.

"I know that, Booth. It's pretty clear you need a break as well. And I'm fine. My sleep schedule is returning to normal as is my appetite. But I'm starting to wonder if you are. Fine, I mean."

She furrowed her brow and stared at him expectantly. The look on her face, the one that made him feel she was staring right through him, was one he hadn't seen in awhile.

He didn't comment, despite the look. "What are you reading?" he asked, pointing to the magazine. Booth didn't really care. He knew it was a magazine he had no interest in. But it was better than whatever conversation she was trying to start.

Studying him, Brennan didn't answer right away. "Are you okay?" she asked bluntly. "Should I be worrying about you more than I already currently am?"

Compartmentalizing was one of her skills. Except when it came to him. She could deal with the fact that he could be injured or even killed performing his job. Lots of people dealt with that fear every day. But emotional upheaval, something he appeared to be suffering from now, could lead to problems in other areas. And Booth had a history of less than appropriate coping skills. So she would do everything in her power to make sure he wasn't tempted to walk that road.

"I don't want you worrying about me," he grumbled. "That's my job."

"You are smarter than that, Booth. You aren't the only stubborn one in this relationship." The threat that she would keep asking was clear.

He'd turned to look out the window, but turned back to her. "You think you're the only one who's tired of cases involving children? Or cases that come so quickly that sometimes you forget which one you are actually working on?"

"You aren't having nightmares," she said, putting the magazine down. "You are sleeping most of the time when I wake up. What you seem to have done is taken your worries about solving the case and turned them toward me."

He snorted but didn't deny it. "I'm awake plenty when you aren't there. Waiting for you to come back to bed. Wondering what is going on with you. That tends to take my focus away from the rest. Including how I was dealing with everything. And apparently I wasn't doing that as well as I thought."

Stretching his feet out, he crossed his arms over his chest. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back against the seat.

His closed eyes made it easier for her to study him. "Your body language indicates you no longer wish to discuss this."

One eye opened to look at her. "It's not going to stop you, is it?"

She shook her head, even though he'd let his eye close again. "You should have asked me about what was going on. I would have told you then what you won't listen to now. My nightmares aren't even nightmares. Just unsettling dreams I don't remember. And my not eating is no different from any other intense case."

Her focus went back to the magazine, effectively ending that portion of the conversation. If he wanted to be done discussing it, she could let it go for now. "I'm reading about how the United Kingdom is going to open their first body farm for research. It's fascinating to think about."

Booth knew she wasn't done with him. And she had given him explanations for his concerns. He was starting to wonder if the problem was with him and not her. "Sounds fascinating," he said, making it sound more disgusting than interesting. He eyes remained closed. "I hope we don't go there. I'm taking a nap. Why don't you get some rest."

Brennan continued to look through the magazine. "I'm going to stay awake. I can sleep at the hotel. But you go ahead."

After reading the article and making several notes about a project she was planning to look at when she returned from vacation, Brennan closed her magazine and looked toward Booth. He had fallen asleep not long after closing his eyes. Reaching out, she brushed at his hair, touching him gently so not to wake him.

He was tired because he worried about her. She was very sorry for that. And angry as well. There was nothing there to worry about.

Mass Graves. Kidnappings. Murder. Brennan thought she'd seen it all, survived it all. Knew how to deal with all of it so she could keep moving to the next case, the next mystery to solve.

But these cases, the children who weren't going to get a chance to grow up, had shaken her in a way that had never happened before. She'd had nightmares previously, Booth had been there for those. But this time, her dreams were different.

She hadn't lied when she said they weren't clear to her. But they were unsettling. She wasn't leaving their bed because she was upset. It was to think and try to figure out what was there when her eyes closed. Why she kept having a dream with no clear beginning or end. If she could solve that mystery, Brennan knew her dreams would cease.

Now Booth had turned his worries about the case, his inability to save all those children, to her. He hadn't had a chance to save any of them; they were all gone before the two of them arrived. If he couldn't be there for them, he'd be there for her. It was going to make her crazy if he didn't let up.

Brennan could be patient. He'd see she was fine and that would help him be fine.

Greece would help. A place so different from home they could work through the nightmares and his fears without the stress of another case. This time away would fix this and they could go home and work together again. She had to believe that or this whole trip was pointless.

Turning back toward Booth, she wasn't surprised to see his eyes open, watching her. "I'm part of the problem," he said simply, sitting up straighter in his seat. "I don't know how to stop worrying about you." The apology she expected didn't come.

"How do you know what I'm thinking?" she demanded softly. There were no other passengers sitting near them, the plane was surprisingly empty in first class, but Brennan had no desire for anyone else to know their business.

"I know you. You worry a lot about me, Bones. Even if you don't need to."

Her laugh was disbelieving. "And you don't worry about me? You just admitted to it."

"Right now, I can't help myself. How long until we land?"

Brennan looked at her watch. He was surprisingly quick at changing the subject. She wondered if he'd learned it from her, or if it was something they both did naturally. "Few hours. Why?"

"Let's find a movie to watch to help pass the time. It's first class. They must have decent movies. Maybe I can help you with the pop culture knowledge you still clearly lack despite my best efforts."

"I think I saw a documentary about Greece," she offered instead. "You'll know about the culture before we arrive."

Thankful she'd let the serious stuff go, Booth shook his head. "You planned the vacation, I pick the movie."

"Fine. Just don't complain when you have no idea what I'm talking about when we get there."

Booth raised an eyebrow. "Bones, I don't know what you're talking about at least half the time. Never minded it before. I don't think I'll complain about it now."


	5. Chapter 5 - Trip and Swim

_A/N: To the kind guest reviewer who let me know I uploaded the wrong chapter the last time. Thank you. _

"Bones," Booth said, stepping out of the cab. "What did you do? And are we even in Greece?"

Her laugh was lighthearted. "Technically on one of the islands. Mykonos. So, still Greece."

He stood, starting at the hotel in front of them. Immediately, an employee, dressed in a perfectly creased uniform, came out to assist with removing their luggage from the cab. Booth stood back helplessly, trying to figure out what was expected of him.

That's when he fully understood it. Nothing. Nothing was expected of him. All he had to worry about was Bones, himself, and having the type of vacation he'd never experienced before.

It was the honeymoon they'd never had after the wedding they hadn't planned. All he had to do was let go a little bit and enjoy it.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he stared at the front of the hotel. Bones had gone all out on this one. This place was amazing. And he hadn't seen the inside yet.

He knew she waited for his reaction. While she stood still, he could feel the nervous energy vibrating off her. Turning toward her, he flashed his charm smile and watched her visibly relax.

"My agent helped me find it after I told her the parameters of what I was looking for. Movie stars stay here. Not that I knew any that my agent named. We are only here for a week, Booth. We are going to have a good time."

Her sheer willpower alone would make that happen. He raised an eyebrow. "A week? I thought we were taking a two week vacation."

"We are. But we have different plans for the second week," she said, not elaborating further.

There was a smug expression on her face and Booth couldn't help but smile. "I have absolutely no idea what to say. This place is beyond amazing and I haven't even seen the inside yet." He shook his head. "Anything I should know before we go in?"

"That I love you. And you are going to be even more shocked when we see the inside. So try to take a deep breath. I know how you feel about me spending money like this. Especially when you think you should contribute."

He pulled a hand from his pocket to throw it over her shoulder. Together, they stared at the front of the building. The stone and white building was stunning in its grandeur. "I'm assuming the pool is just as grand."

"Pools," she corrected. "Do you really think a place that looks like this has only one pool?"

There was something hidden in that statement, but Booth couldn't figure out what it might be. Knowing he'd probably find out when they got inside, he pushed it aside.

She stepped out from under his arm. "Do you see that woman standing there watching us? She's going to check us in and escort us to our room," Brennan explained after Booth nodded. "I'm quite excited to see if matches what my agent described."

"That should make me feel better, but it doesn't," Booth said. Her excitement was contagious and Booth let himself feel a little of it. He'd been a little nervous about all of this, but it was hard to maintain that feeling when he looked into her face. "Let's not keep our escort waiting."

Her fingers tapped his arm after they started walking. "Do you remember the first morning after I agreed to stay married to you?"

Remember? He'd remember when he was an old man and telling the tale to anyone willing to listen. The devastation when she'd demanded the divorce. Then a single text telling him she'd changed her mind and not to come over.

He'd gone to her apartment anyway. Crawled into bed next to her. And never left her side again. It had been an emotional rollercoaster, one he hoped never to ride again.

He looked down at her, wondering at the turn in conversation. "I remember. I was hopeful and terrified all at once." Which somehow summed up everything and nothing about that week.

"That morning, while you made me pancakes, you made a joke about our lives. How we could quit our jobs and live off my salary from writing novels." She remembered it well too. But Brennan usually focused how much she wanted him to kiss her that morning and not the emotional upheaval that had occurred the day before.

A couple of kids had been mentioned too, but Booth noticed she left that part out. "I didn't think you were listening to me."

"I always listen. And remember. So for the next two weeks, we are living off my salary. I don't know what we're doing the entire time. You and I will have to figure that out. If that bothers you, living off my salary, you can pay for the food," she offered.

Booth almost laughed at her attempt to make him feel included. But he knew it was coming from a good place and he didn't want to hurt her feelings.

Instead, he bent down and kissed the top of her head. "Somehow I don't think that will cost what this did, so I'll try to not let it bother me." Inhaling deeply, Booth looked around. "It's ocean front so I'm sure we can swim. Spend some time walking on the beach. We can keep ourselves busy." His hand drifted to the small of her back.

They were in the middle of the Aegean Sea. It was beautiful. She was beautiful. And Booth had several clear ideas on how he could keep them busy.

He took a second deep breath. It wasn't good to think about things like that before they were in the room. In control again, Booth followed her inside.

They were met by a second employee who quickly checked them in. As they were escorted toward their room, the two of them tried not to spin in circles as they looked around. Even Bones seemed a little shocked by what she was seeing. "I want you to promise me something, Bones."

Brennan, who'd just finished speaking with the woman who'd escorted them to their room, turned back toward him. Booth was sure there was a suite on the other side of that door. "What do you want me to promise?"

"That you never tell me what this cost. Don't even hint at it. Because I'm pretty sure this is more than I make in a year. Even if we are only here for a week." His dark eyes were very serious as he looked into her blue ones.

"You haven't seen the rest yet," she said, opening the door. "But I can tell you it did not cost that much. Not even close. It was more affordable than you think."

He froze in the door. Looking over her shoulder into the room, he let out a low whistle. "I'm not sure I totally believe that sentence, Bones." Booth shook his head. "Nope, I don't believe it at all."

"Come on," she said, tugging him inside. "It has two bedrooms. And our own private pool. Inside the room. Well, out on the terrace, but it's the same thing. Isn't that nice? Think of the things we can do in that pool, Booth. And no one will see us."

Now he understood why her voice sounded funny when she talked about the number of pools in the place. There was one in their room. An actual swimming pool.

Shocked to silence, Booth stepped into the room. There was a sitting area with a stark white couch, small dining table and kitchen area. Poking his head into the bedrooms he noted each bedroom had its own balcony. Shaking his head, he finally stepped around the pool on a large terrace to look into the distance. "You can stand here and watch the sea," he said. "There's another island," he said, keeping his back to the rest of the room.

Bracing his hands on the railing that kept them from falling into the sea, he tried to take everything in at once. And failed miserably.

Well, he thought, they probably wouldn't fall into the sea. Just onto the beach that was below the room. A beach he assumed was for guests only.

"That's Delos Island," she informed him. Coming next to him, she slipped an arm around his waist. "What do you think?"

"I honestly don't know what to think. I never imagined staying in a place like this." He didn't even know places like this existed. Turning back slightly, he looked at the pool again. "Our own private pool," he marveled. "Way too much money, Bones," he said, but there was no anger in his voice.

Releasing him, she pulled out a chair on the terrace where they stood. He gave one more glance at the view before coming to sit next to her. Of course there was a table to eat at and lounge chairs. "The biggest purchase we've made in the last several years was the house," she said. "And thanks to careful saving, we had a nice down payment for that."

"I know that. But this?" he asked, waving an arm at everything around them. "I just don't like to think of anyone spending that much money to surprise me. I'm not upset," he reassured her. "A little shocked. But not upset. A little excited," he added, and for a moment, she could see the happy boy beneath the man.

She smiled. "We live off our salaries alone. Everything I make from writing novels is invested. Retirements for us, a college fund for Parker, and then money for things like this. Except we never do things like this. So that portion of the savings has a lot of money in it."

"Wait," he said, holding up a hand. Booth didn't want to think about how much a lot of money was. Especially to Bones. He had a feeling they had different definitions when it came to that statement. "You have a college fund for Parker?"

The look he received was similar to the one she gave her interns when they asked what she thought was a less than intelligent question. "He's yours. Which makes him mine. Of course I have a college fund for him. I save exactly the same amount you do, so it won't bother you if I contribute when the time comes. We will both have half, or a third depending on what Rebecca does." She tilted her head. "Do you not want me to do that?"

"I guess I never thought about it," he admitted. "I should have known you would."

"Booth," she said, putting a hand over his. "You love that kid, as you should. And so do I. He might not be mine by birth, but he's still mine. Just in a slightly different capacity. And as long as we are married, he will be treated as if he were mine. I thought you realized that."

Yes, he should have realized that. And he would have, if he'd ever taken the time to think about it. His Bones was a complex woman, with more ability to care for people than anyone realized.

It was good to reminded how lucky he was that she loved him.

"I love you," he said. "And then you do something that makes me love you more, just when I think I couldn't possibly." Booth looked around them and back toward the sea. "But about this room." He saw the wariness come into her eyes. "It's amazing."

"Let's spoil ourselves, Booth. Do all the things we talk about but never make time for. We deserve this."

Booth eyed the pool again. "I've always been curious about what swimming in an infinity pool is like."

Her smile was wide and uninhibited. She'd made Booth happy and that made her happy. "Let's go unpack and check out the rest of this place. Then maybe I could take a nap before dinner. I didn't sleep at all on the plane."

OoOoOo

Booth rested next to her on the king size bed, but he didn't sleep. Instead he brushed at the hair that fell over Brennan's face, careful to just let his fingers barely skim against her.

The time change and his nap on the plane had his sleep schedule turned around and though Brennan had fallen asleep right away, he hadn't been able to close his eyes.

Standing watch over her was a good use of his time as far as he was concerned.

She slept without stirring and Booth breathed a sigh of relief. HIs need to protect her was turning into smothering and he knew he needed to pull back. There were plausible excuses for everything that worried him.

This was turning into a problem for him, which was going to turn into a problem for them. No one he'd talked to in weeks had told him the truth, and that was bleeding over into people he trusted, something that had never happened before. He'd hoped the separation from work would help him turn a page, but it hadn't. Instead, it had given him one person to focus on.

The only person that had consistently told him the truth since the night she'd admitted that she needed a break.

"Damn it," he muttered, rolling gently to stare at the ceiling. That surface was as white as the rest of the walls. Booth wondered if he'd need sunglasses to stay in the room as some point.

Rising, he left the room, pulling the door around behind him. The mini bar was fully loaded and he selected a bottle before going to sit on the terrace.

It was beautiful here, he'd certainly give Bones credit for that. They'd never done anything like this before. Which was silly. Why had they waited until they'd been desperate for a break before taking one? They should be doing this more often in order to prevent themselves from reaching that point.

Lies wrapped around lies. How many hours wasted trying to untangle threads? Twisted and knotted around each other until you weren't sure which end to pull to untie everything.

He envied Brennan and her skeletons sometimes. Those bones she studied didn't lie, that's what she'd told him. And after this last case, it sounded nice to deal with something that didn't hide the truth. Of course, he had no idea of what truths could be found in a skeleton. Guess he was going to have to leave that to his wife no matter how it sounded.

They needed this. They deserved this. And Booth feared he was going to ruin the whole thing.

Opening the bottle he took a healthy drink, grimacing slightly as the alcohol burned its way down his throat. Then he took another.

There wasn't enough here to get drunk on. Or even dull the edges. At least in this one bottle. There was plenty more where it came from. But he knew there were more problems than solutions to be found in a bottle. He'd stop with this one and wait for Bones to come save him from himself.

That's where Brennan found him a short time later. The empty bottle in front of him, he sat staring out toward the water.

"You okay?" she asked him, taking in the bottle and his pensive expression. She'd been surprised that he wasn't at her side when she woke.

"Yeah," he said. glancing at her. He pulled the other lounge chair a little closer, patting it to encourage her to sit. She remained standing, staring down at him. "Just having a hard time letting go of the past couple of cases, you know? I'm good. You sleep okay?"

She rolled her eyes and Booth chuckled. Somehow she made the motion look slightly awkward when she did it. "I slept fine. I am fine. I am starting to worry about your hearing though."

"Ears are fine, Bones." The rest of him would follow. "What do you say to trying out that pool. It's very tempting but I wanted to wait until you woke up."

It felt weird to Brennan to be the one waiting for someone to talk instead of being the one to refuse to do so. But like her husband, she knew how to be patient. "That's a great idea, Booth. Let's get our suits."


	6. Chapter 6 - Bathing suits and Trunks

_A/N: Content warning for this chapter and the one following it. Very strong T, maybe M. _

_Also: The hotel is based on the Mykonos Grand Hotel and Resort. I combined aspects of several rooms to get the one they are staying in. Just in case anyone is traveling to Greece and is curious. _

_OoOoOoOo_

"I've lost a little weight," Brennan said. She came out of the bathroom in a revealing bathing suit that Booth loved, but she thought didn't fit quite the same as it used to.

It was a combination of stress and working too much she was sure. Something that this trip should take care. She'd done her best to take care of herself, but the case had taken up a lot of her time. And with Booth often doing interviews, he hadn't always been around to take her to lunch. What little she had eaten hadn't been enough to keep her from losing a few pounds. "The healthy diet eaten in this part of the world should take care of that," Brennan said confidently.

Looking down at herself, she ran her hands down her hips, trying to decide if there was a significant difference in her shape. And then being annoyed with herself for even caring at all.

Booth looked up and smiled. "You're still gorgeous."

He never got sick of seeing all that skin on display. And what was under that suit he spent way too much time thinking about.

"I don't like the way it fits me," she complained, tugging at the straps. "Maybe I'll go try the other one."

Booth reached out and snagged her with an arm around her waist. It wasn't like Bones to be self conscious about how she looked. Maybe he could fix that. "Can I offer a suggestion?" he asked, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck and then her shoulder. She arched back pressing herself against him.

Brennan shivered as his lips continued to make a path along her shoulder. "What suggestion?"

"Just get rid of the suit entirely. It is a private pool after all. Very private. I think suits should be optional when we swim in here."

He skimmed his free hand down her side and up again. Bumps rose on her skin as his hand passed. Liking the way she reacted to his touch, he performed the same motion on the other side of her body.

If she'd spent a ridiculous amount of money on a hotel room with a private pool, he was going to take advantage of it. As often as she was willing to let him.

Brennan shot a glance over her shoulder. Her cheeks were flushed and her breath came a little faster. "Optional suits?" she asked, licking her lips.

"Definitely optional," he said, moving from her shoulder to the back of her neck. He loved the feel of her skin beneath his mouth. And his fingers. The way she responded to his touch without reservation.

"I'm agreeable to your plan," she said, her voice husky. Stepping neatly away from him, she slipped the straps from her shoulders and shimmied out of the suit. From behind her, Booth took a sharp breath. There wasn't a part of him that didn't ache with his desire for her.

"Aren't you overdressed?" she asked.

Not waiting for him, Brennan tested the water in the pool before sliding smoothly in. Booth swallowed a groan and removed his own swim trunks to follow.

She swam to the edge. Booth's heart was in his throat until he swam next to her. "Scared me for a second there," he admitted. From the back it appeared she was falling off a cliff.

"Infinity pools play tricks on the eyes. That's what makes them so interesting. This edge is slightly lower than the back, allowing the water to flow over and be recycled." Her arms rested on wall and she stared off toward the Aegean Sea. "It's beautiful."

"Yes," Booth agreed, looking at her and not the view. It was no surprise that Bones understood how the pool worked. "It is." His fingers trailed down bare skin and to the small of her back. He loved that spot.

She tensed slightly at his touch before relaxing again. His fingers paused in their exploration as Booth looked at her curiously, forcing himself not to read more into her reaction. "You okay, Bones?"

"Felt nice," Brennan said, not looking at him. "The water and your fingers. It just feels nice." Her sigh was wistful. "It always feels nice when you touch me. We've had so little time to do this lately."

The water helped his fingers slide smoothly across her skin. Up and down they went, avoiding the areas she most wanted him to touch. It was arousing and maddening.

Booth agreed they'd had too little time together. Stolen moments between cases were all they'd managed to find. Most nights they fell into bed too tired to do anything but wrap themselves in each other before falling asleep. "We shouldn't have let that happen. We can't lose what we have because we are focused on other things."

Fingers continuing to make lazy trails along her skin, Booth knew what she wanted. And he wanted to give in. But he didn't just yet, enjoying the seduction. His fingers brushed the side of her breast and her heard her breath catch.

She turned and pierced him with her gaze before turning back to the sea. "What were we supposed to do, Booth? Tell them we needed time to run home and have sex before we looked at the next victim? I suppose we could have asked Angela where to hide in order to have sex in the Lab."

His fingers froze as he visibly shuddered at the crude way she put it. "That's not what I meant. And you know it. What we are supposed to do is not lose ourselves, lose each other, while trying to help everyone else. Then we all lose."

They floated lazily next to each other, shoulder to shoulder. He felt her sigh again next to him when his fingers restarted their lazy motion. "When I get that involved, I don't know how to stop. Never have."

The hand stopped at the small of her back and pulled her closer to him. "I know, Bones." He pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "I know how you work and I know what it costs you."

Rolling so her back leaned against the wall, Brennan looked at him. Booth kept his arm wrapped around her, not entirely convinced she couldn't just fall over the edge. "Stop worrying so much. It costs you the same."

"I can't" he disagreed easily. "But you know that too." His hand slid down the front of her, making her breath hitch. She mirrored the motion, watching his pupils dilate as her hand slipped past his waist and gripped him firmly.

"Ever made love in a pool before?" she asked. He shook his head. "Because that would be a first for me as well."

"I'd hate to deny you the opportunity to have new experiences," he said. Booth let his hand continue to wander over her skin, never lingering in one spot for too long. She did the same, a challenge to see which of them would give in first.

It was Brennan who broke and she recognized the victory in his eyes when she grabbed the back of his neck to pull his head toward hers. "Something you want, Bones?" he teased, pulling back against her grip.

The smile she gave him was wicked. "You, Booth. Only you. Forever you."

OoOoOo

They sat in bathrobes provided by the hotel. In the distance, the last rays of light were disappearing from the sky, turning the land into a twilight where everything was fuzzy.

Like his understanding of exactly what was going on in his own head, Booth thought. And hated himself a little for it. He would never be here again and he couldn't allow himself to just let go and enjoy it.

The more he knew about this place, the more ridiculous he found it. Infinity pools and the hotel had a private beach. Rooms were cleaned twice a day instead of once. Bathrobes more luxurious than anything he'd ever owned were provided. And the view was to die for.

If this was how the other half lived, he gave them credit. It was fun for a week, but every day for years on end? It didn't fit who he was at all.

Below them, the waves lapped at the shore. Lights of boats glowed in the water and Booth watched them lazily. He wondered how much it cost to charter a boat and spend the day on the water. And whether movie stars were out that doing that right now.

Remains of dinner sat in front of them, ordered from room service after they'd made it out of the pool. Booth noted she'd actually eaten a full meal for the first time in weeks. "Did I help you work up an appetite?" he asked, indicating her empty plate. "More wine?"

"You definitely helped with the appetite," she agreed, giving him a satisfied smile. It had reminded her exactly what she'd been missing during the last hectic weeks. She looked toward her almost empty glass."I think I've had enough of that for now."

He put his own wine glass down and looked at her. "Are you sure? You didn't have much."

She started to shake her head, then gave in. "I drank, we drank that night after the body arrived at the Jeffersonian. Not much, nothing more than usual. Then the victims just kept coming. Now, wine is just, it's not the same. A bad association that will fade in the next few weeks, I'm sure. It's not logical."

It was an unexpected confession from her. Bones usually separated work and home pretty well. "You should have said something. I don't have to drink it either. We could have ordered something else. And it's perfectly logical."

Laughing, she took the bottle and poured more into his glass. "Don't be ridiculous, Booth. I'm sure by the end of this trip, we'll be finishing bottles together. Then we can have drunk sex in the pool."

Booth snorted, taking a sip from the glass she'd filled. "We'd probably drown."

"Perhaps," she agreed thoughtfully. "But it would be fun to try. Sex. Not drowning." Grabbing a bottle of water, she took a drink before placing it in front of her and trailing a finger around the rim. "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

He raised an eyebrow in surprise as he looked at her. "Isn't that usually my question to you?"

She raised a shoulder. "I've told you that nothing is bothering me. Several times. A vague nightmare I can't recall and a lack of appetite recently, all attributable to our lives during the last month. For you, it's something else. Or something more serious."

Booth suddenly felt ridiculous sitting there in a fluffy white robe. Watching him rise, Brennan thought he was simply going to walk away from the question until he bent down to kiss the top of her head. "I'll be right back," he promised. "Don't go anywhere."

He didn't know why there was a need to change his clothes, but he couldn't have a serious conversation dressed in a bathrobe. He changed quickly, pulling on a pair of jeans and returning to where Bones sat.

Her eyes traveled down his bare chest to where he hadn't buttoned his pants and back up again. Booth gave her a crooked grin. "If you look at me like that, we'll never have this conversation."

"Does it have something to do with the cases we worked?" she asked, tearing her eyes away from him. But he was right. If she looked at him too long, they weren't going to be doing much talking.

Now that they had time, she couldn't get enough of him.

Booth had to fight to keep the smug expression from his face at the way Bones had studied him. They should probably have this conversation even if he'd much rather peel that robe from her shoulders.

Instead, he sat and reached for the wine glass. "Yeah. But I already told you that part."

Brennan sighed. "I'm not always good at this, Booth. I might need a little more information than that. Yes, you've told me it has to do with our cases. And not much else."

"You picked up there was something going on with me. You are doing just fine."

"You've been watching me. And not in the I want to take her clothes off kind of way," Brennan said.

Booth barely swallowed his wine without choking. "I want to take your clothes off kind of way?" he repeated. "What kind of scientific talk is that? And do you catch me doing that often? And do you ever just take your clothes off when you see that look?"

"Lot's of questions." She noted he hadn't disagreed with her assessment of his behavior. "You don't do it as much recently. Now you look at me like you're studying me. I don't like it," she admitted. "And I've never just taken my clothes off because most of the time we aren't in a location where that is appropriate."

"Shit," he muttered, running a hand along his cheek. Bones was too observant. There was no way he would have gotten away with that behavior for very long. And it was clear he hadn't. "Sorry, Bones. It's not you. Just…too many lies. Too many people not being honest."

She nodded and pressed her lips together, thinking about her next question. "How many suspects did you interview during the serial killer case?"

Brennan hadn't been able to attend many of them. She'd been in the Lab where she worked with her colleagues to find the evidence Booth needed. For days, they'd been overwhelmed with the number of victims and Brennan had been supervising her interns along with performing the actual work. Most of their updates had been held over the phone.

That was in addition to the time she'd spent in the field overseeing the removal of the remains. Booth needed every piece of evidence, every clue she could give him in order to make sure there were no more victims. Nothing would be done incorrectly on her watch. She'd made sure of it.

"Twenty-seven," Booth said quickly. "Not all of them were suspects. Just people I had to talk to during the course of the investigation." He placed his wine glass on the table and got to his feet. Brennan was surprised to see he wore no shoes and socks with the jeans. He usually had something on his feet to prevent any further injury to them.

"How many of them lied to you?" she asked. It was silly to worry about his bare feet, but she wanted to go find something for him to put on them while he paced back and forth.

Booth snorted and her eyes flew back to his face. "All of them," he said bitterly. "Do you know how much time I wasted double checking alibis and clearing them from suspicion. No one wanted to admit where they were or who they were with. Several of them are going back to jail on parole violations discovered during the investigation. I think one is going to be linked to a bank robbery."

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Booth was a little lost when he realized he'd already emptied them. He'd had to leave some of the items home, but his chip was always in easy reach. Without it, he didn't know what do with his hands.

Knowing what he needed, Brennan rose and disappeared into the room. Booth watched her, unsure of why she'd choose to walk away now. But less than a minute later she returned.

He shouldn't have been unsure at all. If anyone knew what he needed, it was Bones.

"Thanks," he said, taking the chip from her hand and rubbing his thumb across it. "But are those socks. Are your feet cold?"

Suddenly embarrassed, she tucked the brightly colored socks into the pocket of her robe. "So you think I might be lying to you?" she asked instead. "About what you think is going on with me? The nightmares and not eating. And now the wine," she added, putting it all together. "That I'm hiding…something from you."

He eyes traveled from her pocket to her face and back again. "No," he said shaking his head. "Yes. I don't know," he finally grumbled. His eyes lingered on whatever she'd shoved into that pocket. Unconsciously, he twirled the chip she'd retrieved for him between his fingers.

"I'm not lying to you, Booth. You know I don't do that. I'm also not lying by omission. I haven't told you anything because there is nothing to tell," her voice had become firmer at the end, emphasizing the words. "It's only natural you'd start to be a little suspicious of everyone. And we've barely been together. It only makes sense that you are noticing things about me and that has raised red flags. Even if those things are minor inconveniences. I don't like it, but I understand it."

"I shouldn't be suspicious of you," he snapped, annoyed that she would accept his behavior so easily. "I love you." He paced back and forth several times before stopping again. "You don't lie to me. You are the only person I've ever trusted completely," he admitted, his voice fading to a whisper.

Shoving the chip into his pocket, he met her eyes. "I'm going to ruin our vacation," he said bitterly. "You at least admitted you needed the break. I didn't even notice what was going on with me."

Rising, she stood in front of him. "You've ruined nothing. And you won't ruin anything. You told me once that things got better if you talked about them. I'm sure this is the case. If you step over the line, worry about things you don't need to, I'll tell you."

His hand came up to cup her cheek. "I have no doubt of that," he said gently. And because she was finally close enough, reached into the pocket of the robe.

"These are socks," he said with a laugh. He looked down at his bare feet and back to her. "Why did you bring me socks? My feet aren't cold."

Sighing, Brennan knew in order to help him she was going to have to answer the question. And all the other questions he was going to ask. Even the ones she normally didn't. "But you don't have anything on them," she pointed out. "You always have socks or slippers or shoes on to keep your feet from sustaining further damage. It bothered me that you weren't taking care of yourself, so I figured I needed to help."

Oddly touched, even if the idea of needing socks on a terrace in Greece was slightly ridiculous, he touched his forehead to hers. "Thanks, Bones."

Tipping her head up, she kissed him. "I'm going to take a shower. And then going to bed." Five steps away, Booth had counted for no reason at all, Brennan stopped and shot a daring look over her shoulder. "Want to join me?" she asked, pulling the robe from her shoulders and letting it fall to her feet.

Without waiting for his response, she sauntered away from him toward their bedroom.

Booth shook his head in amusement. Before sliding the jeans from his hips to join her.


	7. Chapter 7 - Beach and Hot

_A/N: So...confession time. For those of you reading and commenting, you should know...this story is making me want to scream. I have deleted as many words and scenes as I have written (And have the folder full of them to prove it. I could probably have a whole deleted scenes section like they do on DVDs). For whatever reason, I'm really having a hard time with it. So if the reason Booth is struggling isn't quite clear, or things that happen later in the story seem unexpected, I apologize. But at this point, I figure I have two choices: delete it entirely (which was my first inclination) or push my way through it. And I'm just too stubborn to quit._

_This isn't a shameless request for a PM or a comment to keep going, I'm going to. But I feel as if I owe an explanation for everything not being quite as clear as normal. Because I agree with you. Or if later, you think, where did that come from? Just roll with it, if you don't mind. And if you want to quit reading, I totally understand. _

_If you stick with me after all that, thanks for the support. There is a content warning for this chapter as well._

_OoooOoooOooo_

He felt her slip from his arms before the sun came up. Waiting with eyes closed, he listened to see if she was going to return to his side. When he heard the soft splash from the pool inside the room, Booth knew where she had gone.

Giving her a few minutes, he also rose and walked toward the terrace where the pool was located. Leaning against the wall, he watched her.

There were lights out here, she'd flipped a switch so at least the pool was illuminated. But everything else was bathed in darkness. It was easy for him to stand and watch without her noticing. To disappear into darkness and shadows.

She swam back and forth completing lap after lap. The pool wasn't large, it took only a few strokes to get from one side to the other. Her movements were rhythmic, neither hurried nor lazy and Booth realized she was using it as a replacement for the Lab. It gave her an environment to think.

Some of her habits had changed after their marriage. Her midnight trips to the Lab had decreased in frequency. And if she'd felt the need to go, she usually woke him first. Which led to him getting dressed and going with her. He wasn't comfortable letting her out of his sight at that hour. He wondered now if she no longer went because she didn't need to, or didn't want to disturb him.

Her bare skin reflected moonlight; she'd apparently taken his suggestion to not wear suits while in the room to heart. He caught glimpses of various parts of her body as her long limbs slid though the water. The desire was quick to rise, but Booth made no move toward her, enjoying the anticipation of touching her again.

The love he felt for her was both empowering and overwhelming. It gave him strength to face the worst life could throw at him and could bring him to his knees. Nothing he'd expected and something he no longer knew how to live without.

He didn't tell her that enough. Couldn't find the words to make her scientific brain understand the depth of his emotions. Some things, he knew, defied explanation. They simply were.

Time slowed as he watched her. Booth knew he should give her the space, but he couldn't. He was sure she was thinking about him and probably worrying about him too. And maybe herself. Because despite what she said, Booth knew the last month was haunting her as well. And she'd have her own moment of need, just as he'd needed her. As he always needed her.

Booth didn't appreciate it when cases bled over into his every day life. People lied. It was his job to see through all of that to find the truth they tried to hide. And it was stupid to have it bother him now. Ridiculous to think he couldn't trust what Bones said to him just because no one else had been honest the last month.

He'd just gotten tired. Worn out. And damnit, he'd missed Bones. The quiet moments that reminded him why they did this job. She kept him steady even before he knew he'd lost his balance. But enough was enough. It was time to be done brooding about people who weren't worth thinking about.

The person worth spending time on was currently doing quiet laps across that pool.

Yes, it was definitely time to put all of this away.

There would be more cases, more lies. People didn't change. Bones would help him untwist everything. They were good at that. At least, he hoped she would. Nothing had been mentioned about her plans after this two weeks were up.

But he wasn't ruining what promised to be a magical couple of weeks. Hell, they'd had their clothes off more than on at this point, and that didn't look to be changing.

Talking to her had helped and it was humbling to know she'd learned a little of that from him. And the socks, which remained on the top of the dresser where he'd put them, meant more to him than a lot of other gestures would have. Love, freely given, with a pair of socks.

It was the little things, the gestures in between the big moments, that meant the most. She always managed to know what he needed, even if Bones didn't always trust her own instincts when it came to emotions.

Slipping off the shorts he'd worn to bed, Booth waited until she was at the far end of the pool before slipping in. Leaning back against the interior wall, he waited as she completed the turn and stopped just before she ran into him.

Brennan had enough time to stand and push the wet hair out of her face before he grabbed her, turning her smoothly to take his place at the wall.

Wasting no time, Booth pressed his lips to hers, the kiss punishing in its intensity. His blood ran hot and when she gasped beneath him, he took the opportunity to tangle his tongue with hers.

He felt her go pliant in his arms, allowing him to take the lead. That she knew what he needed, without a word spoken between them, was another miracle.

His hands came down on her shoulders and he could feel the race of her pulse beneath his palms. But he didn't let up, sliding his hands up into her hair and tangling the wet strands in his grip. He used the control it gave him to tip her head and change the angle of the kiss.

Brennan's hands grabbed his upper arms, nails biting into the skin. Impossibly, she tried to pull him closer, so they occupied the same space in the pool. When she couldn't Booth leaned into her, trapping her between the wall and his body. Pressed so tightly against her, there was no denying what he wanted, or the power she had over him.

Lifting his mouth from hers, he trailed kisses down the side of her face toward her neck. She tilted her head to give him better access. "Booth?" she said, her voice rising at the end. She was unsure what this was about, but could guess based on the evidence. If this was what he needed, to claim her in such an elemental fashion, Brennan would give it to him.

Because that's what this was. A declaration. Of what he felt, of what he needed her to know. If Booth couldn't find the words to tell her, there were other ways.

There wasn't a clear answer he could give to her unasked question. Not one she would understand. He was thankful she didn't really demand one.

He needed her. Heat that cleansed while it consumed. Something he knew would only come from her.

Booth sucked at her shoulder before lifting his mouth and meeting her eyes. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked. His eyes, black with passion, stared down at her. He wasn't sure what he'd do if she said yes. There wasn't enough cold water in the hotel to bring him back under control.

Her hand came up to rest on his cheek. Her lips were swollen from the intensity of his kiss and his eyes moved down her face to stare at them. "No," he watched her say. "I don't want you to stop. Please, don't stop. Take what you need," she offered.

Scooping her into his arms, he carried her from the pool to one of the lounge chairs on the deck. It was cool outside of the water and their skin pebbled as the air brushed across it. But there was nothing but heat between them as he lowered himself to her. And she opened her arms and accepted everything he brought.

Booth claimed her with heat and fire. With kisses that scorched and touches that burned. And when she thought she couldn't take another second, Booth gave her more, reminding her of who they were together.

When she whispered his name, Booth captured her mouth with his one final time. And followed her to a place he'd only ever managed to find in her arms.

It was the perfection everyone searched for. And he'd been lucky enough to find it with her.

Resting his head on her chest, Booth listened to the shallow gasps of her breathing, and knew his sounded the same. "I love you," she said. Her fingers threaded into his hair, massaging his scalp. Then she laughed softly. "I think we should come to Greece more often."

"I'm going to hurt you," he said, trying to pick himself up so his full weight no longer rested on her. But she kept her arms around him and wouldn't let go.

Fingers continued to run through his hair. "You've never hurt me, Booth," she said. But her arms relaxed, allowing him to lift his weight from her.

In that position, he could see her eyes were fathomless in the moonlight. Full of love and understanding. Booth drew a breath to steady himself. Despite the effort, his voice still shook slightly when he spoke. "Come back to bed, Bones. I need you next to me."

His eyes were still black, impossible to see with the moon behind him. She didn't need a clear view to know what was in them. Nodding, she waited for Booth to help her to her feet and with hands interlocked, they returned to bed.

OoOoOo

She was rubbing herself with sunscreen when he came out of the bathroom the next morning.

He stared at her, remembering all that had transpired the night before. In the harsh light of dawn, he knew something had changed. He felt calmer, more like himself and she finally looked a little more rested.

For a moment, when he'd opened his eyes to find he was alone in bed, Booth was sure Bones was avoiding him. She'd been in the second bathroom when he woke and hadn't returned to the room until he went into the bathroom. Now she was dressed and ready to leave before he was even out of the shower.

Brennan knew he watched her and turned to look at him coolly. "I didn't want to wake you," she said, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "And don't apologize," she said when he opened his mouth to respond.

He closed it and took a deep breath before trying again. "Going somewhere, Bones?" he asked casually. He wore a towel low on his hips and was using a second towel to dry his hair.

Brennan glanced up and Booth recognized the spark of arousal that appeared in her eyes. But she did nothing to act on it and went back to applying sunscreen on her arms.

"Don't like what you see?" he teased.

"I like it just fine," she replied, refusing to look at him. "But I'd also like to see the outside of this room. And I'm hungry. If you get dressed, we can go to breakfast. The hotel serves one downstairs."

"Okay, I can get ready. I'm hungry myself." Ignoring her comment about never leaving the room, he dropped the towel and started digging through the dresser where he'd stored his clothes for the week.

He heard her muffled laugh at his antics, and pulled on a pair of underwear and shorts before turning back around to face her. She was putting lotion on her legs now, making every effort not to look at him. But Booth could see the flush in her cheeks.

"Missed your chance, Bones," he said, pulling on a t-shirt and grabbing his wallet. "Let's go get some food."

"I never miss my chance, Booth," Brennan said, following him out of the room. "I'm sure there will be plenty of chances for us to have sex this week." She'd dropped her voice, not wanting to embarrass Booth and then to his eternal thanks, changed the subject. "Later, I'm going to read a book on the beach. Perhaps take some time to think about the plot of the novel I need to finish."

"Are you behind?" he asked, taking her hand to swing between them. "On your deadline, I mean?"

"Not behind," she said, taking her lower lip between her teeth. "I think I might be a little stuck."

"Writer's block?" Booth asked in surprise. His ever confident, best-selling author wife had writer's block. He shouldn't be amused, he reminded himself. It was not appropriate to be amused.

"No," Brennan said her eyes narrowing. Despite his best attempts, she could see the laughter in his expression. "Writer's block is a psychological term and that is something I don't believe in. I have written Agent Andy into a threatening situation and I haven't worked out how to get him out of it."

"Have him call his partner," Booth suggested, knowing that despite Brennan's arguments the main characters in her novels were based on the two of them. "My partner always helps me out when I'm stuck."

She gave him a smile at that declaration. And Booth smiled in return. "Kathy doesn't know he's stuck in this situation. He went off without telling her."

Booth could hear from the tone of her voice how Brennan felt about him doing that. Even if she'd written the character that way. And the fact that Agent Andy wasn't real to begin with.

Their banter continued through the breakfast. Booth couldn't remember half of what he ate, he just knew it tasted good. His attention was focused on the woman sitting across from him, talking out plot points to see if they made sense.

"Then Agent Andy is going to fly a paper airplane out the window with a message asking for help,' Brennan said. She stabbed a piece of cantaloupe with her fork and brought it to her lips.

"Sounds like - wait - what?" he said, as her lips closed around the bite. He'd been imagining those lips wrapped around more interesting things. Pulling himself from his fantasy he tried to replay her words in his head. "Paper airplanes?"

Laughing, she wiped her mouth with a napkin. She leaned toward him across the table. "We've barely had our clothes on for this trip," she whispered. "How can you still be thinking about sex?"

He tried to keep his eyes on her, but her position allowed him to see down the front of her sundress. There wasn't enough willpower for him to keep from looking.

"How can you not?" he countered. When she threw her napkin down and reached for her bag, Booth grabbed her hand. "Maybe we could wait a few minutes before leaving?"

She tilted her head, before laughing again and giving him a smug smile. "I think I'll just meet you on the beach. Your little problem might go away if I'm not sitting right here."

"It's not little, Bones," Booth hissed as she gave him a jaunty wave and walked away from him. The sway of her hips in that sundress only made his problem worse, not better. Booth knew she did it on purpose and plotted out various forms of revenge until it was safe for him to get up from the table.

OoOoOoOo

Even the umbrellas were blue and white, Booth noted, scanning the chairs for Bones. He'd walked past a pool that took his breath away with private cabanas. A quick stop to make a reservation and Booth knew how they were spending tomorrow morning.

Bones sat with her legs stretched out in front of her, book in hand. He walked gingerly through the sand toward her. The unstable surface often aggravated old injuries if he wasn't careful.

"Did your problem go away?" she teased, not taking her eyes from the book.

"I think she's sitting right next to me," Booth grumbled while fighting the smile. "What are you reading?" he asked, reaching out to snatch the book from her hand.

"No, Booth," she cried. Her hands reached for the book he held just out of her reach. "Give that back to me."

"Interesting reaction," he drawled out, careful to keep the away from her. When she saw he wasn't going to give it back, she huffed out a sigh.

"Angela recommended it," she said.

Booth had been careful to save her place when he'd taken the book. Curious, he opened to that page and started reading. He'd made it a third of the way down before he raised an eyebrow. Next to him, Bones was fiddling with the strap of her bag, pretending not to notice him.

At the bottom of the page, Booth cleared his throat and closed the book with a snap. "And you had the nerve to lecture me?" he asked laughing at her discomfort. He tossed the book back into her lap. "Go ahead, keep reading. If you get any good ideas, I'll be happy to help you try them out."

"You have plenty of your own ideas," she said. The book went back into her bag.

"I do?" Booth asked, faking innocence. He glanced around them before leaning toward her and lowering his voice. "You mean like how I want to take you back to our room and slide that dress from your shoulders. Lay you down in the center of the king sized bed and run my hands all over your bare skin."

"Booth," she groaned, not sure if she wanted him to stop or continue. "We can't spend every moment of this trip in our room."

"Sure we could," he disagreed. He turned sideways on the lounge chair, his bent knees facing her. Bending forward, he put his mouth close to her ear. "You smell like sunscreen and summer." Lips pressed against a spot on her jaw and he felt the vibration of her moan.

Her hand came up and pressed against his chest. The push was gentle and he pulled back. "You look a little flushed, Bones. Maybe we should get out of the sun," he suggested with a laugh.

It was hard to deny the desire that made her skin tingle. "I'd like to go visit the windmills today, if you are interested?" Brennan asked softly. She didn't want to disappoint him by asking to do something touristy, but she really wanted to see something other than the inside of the room. Her voice had turned slightly hesitant.

Booth leaned back, knowing if he didn't put some space between them, they'd be lucky to get off the beach without being arrested. "Of course, we can go." Given all the things she could have suggested, windmills didn't sound like the worst thing ever. "Why do you sound unsure?"

She sighed. "I know that you don't always like to visit the places that I like, Booth. So sometimes I hesitate to suggest something because I don't want to bore you."

Getting up, he held out a hand. When she offered hers, he used it to pull her up and into him. The move trapped their hands between them and Brennan's eyes widened as his brushed the skin above her dress. "Where you go, I go," he reminded her. "Let's go see your windmills."


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: In my world, Rebecca is a lovely woman who doesn't stand between Booth and Parker. And they never said Brennan spoke Greek, but they didn't say she didn't either. _

_Also, the attraction they visit are the Mykonos Windmills. I combined the features of a couple but they are a popular place for tourists to visit when they are on the island._

_ooooooo_

Her sundress blew around her legs and Brennan grabbed it in a fist to help keep it in place. "I shouldn't have worn this outfit," she said.

"It's very windy," Booth agreed. Even if he didn't agree with her opinion about the dress. The view he kept catching of her legs was competing with the windmill towering over his head. "Is it always like this?"

"There are less than ten days a year on the island that are considered calm," she said. "That's why the windmills were built here. And it has been nicknamed the island of the winds."

He cast a glance toward her before looking back at the windmill. "How much research did you do before coming here?"

"Enough," she said vaguely. "Enough to make sure we would enjoy ourselves." Booth had the distinct impression she was going to say something else before she changed the subject. "This is Geronymous Mill. It's the oldest windmill here. It's privately owned now, but was still producing flour until 1960. There are several windmills that still remain on the island, as you can see," she said, motioning toward them. "I thought your eyes would have a glazed look by now." She ducked into the door to the lower portion of the mill. Relieved to be out of the wind, she dropped her dress and used both hands to straighten her hair.

"You look fine," he said, grabbing a hand and pressing a kiss to her palm. "And what glazed over look?"

She snatched her hand back with a laugh. "The look you get whenever I start being our tour guide. You think I don't notice, but I do." Her shoulders lifted in a shrug. "But I like facts. They are routine and don't have any hidden meaning. They are just facts. So I keep talking even after I know you've quit listening."

Facts made sense when nothing else did. The order of them helped her to organize her own thoughts when she felt lost. They just made things simpler for her.

"I like your facts too, Bones. And I am listening. I am," he emphasized when she gave him a disbelieving look. "It's just, sometimes it's not about the words, but the flow of your words."

Straightening from where she'd stopped to read a plaque, Brennan studied him. "The flow of my words?"

Amused to find himself in a position, Bones usually found himself in, Booth tried again. "It's the sound of your voice as you say the facts. Sometimes I hear that more than the words. It's soothing. I can't explain it," he said.

Coming forward, he stood next to her. HIs shoulder bumped hers gently. Standing this close, he could smell the faint scent of sunscreen on her skin. And when he brushed his lips across her bare shoulder as he stood, she shivered in awareness. "Learn anything new?" he asked.

"Yes. I always learn new things." But she was looking at him and not at what she'd been reading. "Come on," she said, taking his hand. "Let's explore."

It would have taken less time with anyone else. Brennan insisted on visiting every corner and reading every bit of information provided. Booth couldn't help but be interested in the mechanics himself and learned more than he expected.

But most of the time, he was watching Bones. She was relaxed in a way he'd never seen before. Carefree and young. Something she'd never had a chance to be. He wished she'd had that opportunity, but at the same time, knew that if anything had been different, he may never have met her. It was a strange circle to think himself into.

Tucking his hands into the pockets of his shorts, he leaned against a stone wall and gave her a smile. Her return smile was curious but when he shook his head, she turned away to continue exploring.

A visit to the art and jewelry shop next store completed their visit. Booth watched her run her fingers along a bracelet and picked it up for her when she was distracted by the art in a different section of the shop.

When he exited, Brennan stood near the edge overlooking the sea. The breeze blew the hair back from her face as she focused on something in the distance. To her right were the stark white buildings that dominated the island. Booth caught his breath at how she looked standing there and reached for his phone to snap a single photograph before she turned.

Confident steps brought him to her side. Pushing a hand in her hair, he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss brought applause from several tourists standing nearby and Brennan was blushing when he lifted his head.

"Bought you something," he said, waving the bag in front of her face. He stepped sideways and positioned his body next to hers, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Thinking about something important?"

He didn't know water could be so blue. And understood why so many buildings on the island were painted white. It made everything brighter.

Her body leaned into his and Booth braced himself to keep them steady. "Not really thinking at all," she admitted, "which is unusual for me." Brennan's laugh was a bit disbelieving as she thought about what she'd just said. "I've never let myself be on vacation like this. It's just different from what I expected."

"Different bad or different good?"

"Different good," she said. "Definitely good. It might be the company."

He chuckled and pulled her a little tighter to him. "I'm glad to hear that, Bones. I knew there were places like this in the world, but never thought I'd get to one. Thanks for planning this for us. Go to lunch with me?"

"Since no one else has asked me," she teased, the smirk on her face making Booth smile. "There's a cafe down the street. Close enough to walk." She eyed the bag curiously, but didn't ask about it.

Hand in hand they walked down the street, Brennan leading them to the cafe she'd spotted earlier. After being led to an outdoor table, a waiter approached and greeted them in halting English. Brennan smiled and responded in what Booth assumed was fluent Greek.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but you speak Greek?" Booth said. He shook his head and tossed her the bag he'd been carrying. "You deserve this for managing to surprise me again. We've been married three years. How did I not know this?"

"You know there isn't a lot of opportunity for me to speak Greek in DC," she said. Brennan removed the box from the bag. "Languages are like facts. They just make sense to me. I know enough Greek to get by."

"I barely know enough English to get by," he joked. He watched her hands remove the ribbon from the box before opening it slowly. Booth knew from the look on her face he'd done well.

Most women wanted jewels in every color of the rainbow. Bones was happier with a bracelet made of rocks and seashells. Only natural materials for his girl.

"Help you put it on?" he offered. She removed the bracelet from the box and held out her wrist. Fumbling with a clasp made for someone with much smaller hands, Booth managed to get it hooked around her wrist. Then danced his fingers on the sensitive skin there.

"Figure out what you want to order, Booth. Then I can impress you by speaking Greek again." She pulled her hand from his to study the menu. "They have vegetarian dishes. And several I think you would enjoy," she said, pointing them out to him. When the waiter returned, Brennan did exactly as she'd promised and Booth shook his head in amusement.

"My bracelet is lovely," Brennan said, holding her wrist up to study it better. "You saw me looking at it in the shop, didn't you?"

"Guilty," Booth said, resting his left hand palm up on the table. She puts hers in his, her fingers resting near the wedding band he wore. "I'm glad you're enjoying the trip."

"It's really nice," she sighed. "I thought I'd be anxious by now with nothing to do, but I find myself more relaxed than I expected." On the sidewalk bordering the cafe, a family passed by. A young child laughed and Booth watched Brennan glance in that direction. Her gaze turned pensive and he closed his hand a little tighter around hers to get her attention.

"You okay, Bones?"

Shaking herself, Brennan nodded. "I'm okay, Booth. It's just that-" she paused and pressed her lips together. Booth waited, recognizing that she was trying to order her thoughts. But he was surprised when she shook her head and said, "It's nothing."

For just a second, her skin had crawled. And Brennan, not sure what was trying to push its way to the surface pushed back. Hard. This wasn't the place for it.

"No," he said coolly. "It's not nothing. If it was nothing you would have simply said it." Not a lie, he said to himself, forcing out a breath. Just an avoidance of the question. And he hadn't really needed to ask to know what caught her attention. "Was it the family? Or the kid?"

Be honest, she reminded herself. Even if you don't have all the answers. But Brennan hated when she didn't have the answers.

There was something just beneath the surface of her consciousness. But she could ignore that for now. Because Booth had taken the conversation in a slightly different direction and she could follow that instead.

Until there was something to talk about, there was no sense worrying him. Because even Brennan wasn't sure what she'd buried. It wasn't a lie if you didn't have any information to give.

"We haven't talked about children in a long time," she said, meeting his gaze. She was careful to keep her emotions hidden so he couldn't read what she was thinking.

"We haven't," he agreed. Releasing her hand, they moved to allow the waiter to place their food on the table. Booth watched her while she smiled and thanked him. He hated when she made sure her expression was very neutral. It usually meant she was worried about his reaction to whatever she was thinking.

Neither spoke for several minutes as they tried the first bites of their meal. Then continued to eat in silence. But Booth wasn't ready to let their conversation go. "Should we talk about children?" he asked her.

Brennan paused slightly before continuing to eat. "I don't know," she said. "Do you think we should?"

"Are you thinking you'd like one, or not like one?" Booth asked curiously. It was one topic that he wasn't quite sure where she stood. There was no doubt in his mind she would make a wonderful parent, he'd seen the way she interacted with Parker.

"A month ago, I would have told you yes," she said softly. "I told you we'd talk about it after we married. We bought a house designed to welcome children. But, we've never actually talked about having one." Thankful she'd already managed to eat most of her meal, Brennan pushed the plate away from her, knowing she was about to lose her appetite. "After what we dealt with, I'm not sure I can do it. Or if I want to do it."

"We're always going to see bad things, Bones. We can't live our lives in fear because of it. Then we aren't really living." When she didn't respond, Booth continued. "Do you know how many times I called Parker in the last month?"

She tilted her head at what she thought was a random question. "No. But we weren't together a lot in the last month."

He nodded, agreeing with that statement. "Every single day. Right up until the moment we left." Letting out a small laugh, he reached for his drink. "I about drove Rebecca crazy the first week until I let her know what was going on. Rebecca made up some excuse and Parker never figured it out thankfully."

Sitting back, Booth crossed one arm over his chest, holding his drink in the other. He took a sip, watching her. "What's going on, Bones?"

"I don't understand what you are trying to tell me, Booth. What does this have to do with anything?" Her frustration came through in the tone of her voice. Unconsciously, she dropped a hand to her flat stomach. What if she thought. Then pushed the question away before she could finish it. Bringing her hand back up, Brennan picked up her fork and played with what remained of her food.

Booth followed the motion of her hand. "Are you already pregnant, Bones?" His voice was as flat as hers was frustrated.

Her look was shocked enough that he knew the answer before she said it. "No. Not pregnant." She titled her head as she considered the question. "But I can see why you'd think that. But I promise that the not eating and everything else is not due to that."

Brennan's eyes met his and held his stare. "This isn't a secret I'm keeping. And I wouldn't," she reassured him.

Uncomfortable with what might have happened if she'd said yes, Booth put the glass back down. Would he have been happy, or reacted in anger if she'd admitted to hiding something like that? And the phrasing of her answer. Not that she wasn't keeping any secrets, just that this wasn't one. Or was he back to reading too much into everything?

Thankful it wasn't an issue he needed to think about, Booth refocused. "Then what I'm trying to tell you is that you'll worry no matter what." His tone was firm but gentle. Perhaps she'd already decided that a child wasn't something she wanted and didn't know how to tell him. "You can't let the bad things prevent you from enjoying the good things. How many married couples have been in our investigations? Didn't stop you from staying with me, did it?"

"No, I almost did that one myself," she said, remembering the turmoil that surrounded that week. She avoided looking at him and turned her attention back to the tourists passing them on the sidewalk.

"Bones," he said. When she didn't turn toward him, he gave a resigned sigh. Then decided he wasn't okay with that. "Bones, just look at me."

Surprised, her eyes darted back to his. Biting her lip, she nodded for him to say whatever it was he wanted to tell her.

"That morning after…, well after you, after I…, shit," he muttered, unsure how to say it without making her feel guilty. It had never come up again, how she'd walked out and left him alone in Vegas, but he knew it bothered her to this day. He'd forgiven her a long time ago. "Okay, the morning after I got back from Vegas, I was very blunt with you when I told you I didn't want the divorce. So I'm going to try that again. I want kids with you. One, two, you know a family."

He thought she might push back from the table, but she remained, staring at him. Deciding it wasn't a bad sign, he forged on. "But kids are a two person decision. Both of us. So, I won't love you any less if you don't want to have a child with me. And I won't push you to have one with me. You know what I want now. And I'm fine with whatever you want. I thought you knew that."

A child. If she looked past her fears and doubts, Brennan could admit to wanting one. Booth was a wonderful father and she knew he would adore another child. It was her own emotions that were getting in the way.

Booth would never admit to being disappointed if they didn't have a baby, but she knew he would be. Worse than that, would be the disappointment in herself for letting fear hold her back.

"What should we do this afternoon?" she asked, letting the subject drop.

Booth, hating that the mood between them had shifted, reached for his wallet to pay for lunch. "Let's go back to the hotel. Sit at the pool. Or the terrace and watch the boats go by."

Her eyes, stormy with emotion, met his. "You want to sit on the terrace and watch boats go by?"

"I want to sit with you," Booth said, signing the check. "I don't care where we do it."

"Okay," she agreed. "Let's go back to the hotel."

OoOoOo

He recognized her mood and what she needed as soon as they walked through the door of the room. "Go down to the beach, Bones," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm going to stay up here and call Parker."

"But I thought you wanted to sit and watch the boats," she said.

"You need time to sort through whatever is tumbling around in that head of yours," he said affectionately. "There's no reason you can't take some time to go sit outside at the beach and do that."

Relieved that he understood, she stopped arguing. "Thanks, Booth. I'll grab my bag. I won't be gone long."

"I'll be waiting," he said, giving her another kiss, on the lips this time and watching her walk out the door. After it shut firmly behind her, he sighed and let the worry darken his eyes. "I shouldn't have even mentioned it," he chastised himself, reaching for his phone.

There was still something there, beneath the surface. He could see it, but only because he knew her so well. But he was starting to think Bones didn't know she was carrying it. Shaking his head, Booth dialed.

The time change meant Parker was getting ready for school. Kicking off his shoes, Booth exchanged pleasantries with Rebecca before his son greeted him. Smiling at the enthusiasm and endless questions, Booth did his best to focus while he walked to the terrace and looked down at the beach.

He could see some of the umbrellas from the room and looked for Bones. He finally spotted her and watched her walk toward the seats. She turned and looked up, shading her eyes with her arm. Booth waved, but she didn't appear to see him. Still, he couldn't shake the idea that she was looking for him.

Brennan walked a little further down and looked back at the hotel again. She appeared satisfied and sat in one of the chairs, stretching her legs out in front of her. Booth realized he had a perfect view of her and shook his head. Purposely, Bones had selected a chair where he could see her easily.

That simple act, and the level of care it demonstrated, shook him. Drawing in a shaky breath, he finished the conversation with Parker and hung up the phone. Walking toward the kitchen, he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before returning to watch the boats.

And the miracle he called his wife.


	9. Chapter 9

She sat in the sun and watched a sailboat glide across the water.

He sat, above her on the terrace, and watched the same boat.

It was intolerable for him that she sat close enough to see, but far enough way that he couldn't touch. What was he doing, letting her sit down there alone?

Giving her time, space, letting her think. That's what he was doing. Giving her exactly what she needed even if it was the opposite of what he desired.

He didn't want time or space. He wanted her. Close enough that he could lay his hand over hers and think about nothing at all. Sitting next to him where he could see her eyes change like the sea those boats sailed on.

It was these moments he hated the most. The ones where he couldn't decide what was better for her or for him. When their desires and needs were so opposite, he wasn't sure they would ever meet in the middle again.

Swearing to himself, he finished off the bottle of water and tossed it to the table behind him. Leaning against the stone wall that bordered the terrace, his eyes were drawn back to the boat.

It sparked an idea, something the two of them could do together. Glad to have something to do while he waited for her to come back to him, Booth went to find his phone.

OOooOOoo

"How did you know I could see you?" Booth asked when she returned to the room. Her skin was slightly pink from the heat and the sun.

Too long she'd been gone. Hauling her against him, he kissed her hard. Then released her to get a cold bottle of water.

"Simple math," she said. Her fingers pressed against her lips. "Based on the location of the room, I was able to determine the precise location to sit in so you had the best view of my seat. I knew you would feel better if you could see me." Taking the bottle, she took a drink.

"You good?" he asked, not quite able to read her mood.

She threw the bag on the couch in the sitting area and smiled. "I'm good," she said, but didn't elaborate on whatever she'd figured out. Or if she'd made any decisions about, well, anything. "Would you still like to watch the boats go by? There's a beautiful sailboat out there. More than one."

He'd wanted to sit next to her and do that. Instead, she'd sat alone. He wasn't sure there had been a different choice, but now that fact bothered him. "Actually," he said, shifting slightly, "I made us some plans."

Bones might have made all the plans to get them there, but he could find something for them to do. And he had. But their tastes were so different, that like her, he wasn't always sure she would enjoy what he selected.

Intrigued, Brennan's head tilted. "You made plans for us for this evening?" Looking around the room, she tried to find a clue to what they were doing. Seeing nothing, she looked back to Booth. "What kind of plans?"

"I hope that's okay," Booth said, ignoring the question. "I wasn't sure if you'd want to go out after what happened this afternoon."

She narrowed her eyes. "The only thing that happened was that you gave me some things to think about. What did you plan, Booth?"

And she'd done a lot of thinking. But still hadn't come to any clear conclusions. Eventually, her thoughts had focused on Booth. What he gave her. What the constant worry about her must cost him. How to make things a little easier for him.

What else was going on in his head. Because there was something he hadn't told her yet. And it was hard to be angry about that, knowing she hadn't fully explained herself either. Seeing a child, hearing that laugh, had made her uncomfortable. And it had nothing to do with wanting to have a child with Booth. No, Brennan knew that feeling came from someplace else entirely. She just hadn't figured it out yet.

Booth shook his head. "I think this one will be a surprise. The shuttle to pick us up will be here later this evening."

"I'd like to argue, but considering what I've surprised you with this week, I'll wait." Looking past Booth toward the terrace and the pool, Brennan gave him a considering look. "What do you think we should do to pass the time? Still want to watch the boats?"

"I think," Booth said, his eyes turning hungry, "we should try a different location this time. I'd hate to waste that second bedroom."

The sound of his voice made her shiver. "Then we better get started so we have time for a nap and a shower."

OoOoOo

Brennan knew she was dreaming. That Booth was next to her in the bed. They'd curled around each other in the second room, her head on his shoulder as she drifted off.

In some part of her mind, she knew she was still there now. The rest of her, the part that recognized this was a dream, peered through shadow more grey than black. There was something there in those shadows, but she could discern neither shape nor color. Brennan could sense, more than feel, that she was not alone.

It was the same dream she'd had for weeks, the one she couldn't quite remember. It appeared whatever was rattling around in her subconscious wasn't quite ready to let go.

She'd done a pretty good job compartmentalizing it so Booth didn't have something else to think about. He seemed better, more trusting of her, but Brennan feared it wouldn't take much for him to take a step back to where he'd been. The wall she'd built to keep this out had been strong, until now.

Outside the dream, her hand tightened into a fist before opening again and pressing against Booth's chest. It was enough to wake him and he opened his eyes. "Bones?" he said softly, not sure she whether she was asleep or awake.

His voice tangled into her dream and Brennan thought it might be him waiting for her in the shadows. But he wouldn't hide from her and she discarded the idea. This dream wasn't about Booth.

Her dream self took a step toward where the grey seemed just a bit lighter. But nothing revealed itself to her and she took another hesitant step forward.

Booth heard a hitch in her breathing and wrapped his arm just a little bit tighter around her. He was sure she dreamed but couldn't decide if she'd descended into a nightmare. Unsure if he should wake her or let it play out, Booth waited impatiently, his muscles tense.

Off to the side, Brennan heard the laughter of a child. She started and turned toward the sound but didn't walk toward it. The high pitched squeal made the child sound female and Brennan remained in place. Whoever it was, she was happy. Brennan didn't need to help her.

Feeling her jump, Booth wished for some sort of magic to follow where she walked. To be able to see the dreams as she saw them and stand next to her. To help her fight whatever she faced.

Her eyes moved behind her closed lids and he wondered what she looked for in her dreamscape. Was it a threat or the answers to whatever questions her subconscious wouldn't let her ignore?

Brennan listened to the child laugh again and frowned slightly in response. She'd never had a dream quite like this before and she wasn't sure what to do. Should she try to force herself awake? Or let it play out to finally see the end?

Not sensing danger, she kept her eyes closed and waited. After an indeterminate amount of time, the girl stepped out of the darkness.

"I recognize you," Brennan said. "You were one of the victims. Abigail. Abby. You were the youngest. You messed up the pattern. You were tall for your age. He mistook you for someone older."

Nodding solemnly, the child turned and looked over her shoulder where several other figures stood. Turning back, Abby gave another laugh before whirling and skipping back into the shadows.

Peering after Abby, Brennan tried to see the faces of those behind the child and then was glad she couldn't. She didn't want to think about that, couldn't think about who remained hidden.

The words she mumbled made no sense, but Booth still didn't wake her. His heart beat a little faster, knowing he wouldn't be able to wait much longer. Waking her wouldn't be for her, but for him. He'd hate himself if she was stuck in some sort of nightmare and he let her stay there.

She took a step, a single step forward. But nothing moved around her and the sound of laughter was fading into a distance she couldn't see. Brennan, frustrated that she didn't understand any of what happened, tried to rub her hand over her eyes. But it passed through her.

Turning to go, where she wasn't sure, Brennan stopped when Abby stepped back out of the grey. Coming forward, she took Brennan's suddenly solid hand into her smaller one and squeezed it tightly.

It made no sense. One minute she was incorporeal and the next a solid being.

Abby opened her mouth to speak.

And Brennan snapped open her eyes to look into Booth's very concerned brown ones.

"Thank God," he breathed and lifted her so she was stretched out on top of him. Both arms wrapped around her like iron bands. "Where did you go?"

Pressing an ear to his chest, Brennan listened to his racing heart. "Nowhere," she said then tried to clarify. "I was just there. Not a nightmare. Not a dream." She shuddered slightly. More than one child was there, but Brennan hadn't been able to see the rest. And she was glad of that.

She didn't want to see those faces. In order to do her job, she hadn't been able to think about it. And she didn't want to remember them now. It was over. She just wanted it to be over.

"You aren't making a whole lot of sense, Bones." They were still naked from their earlier activities and needed to shower before the shuttle came. But he couldn't let go of her. "Can you tell me what just happened?" He pushed the hair back from her face, trying to get a good look at her.

Raising her head slightly, she tried to see the clock that was in the room. "How much time do we have?" Booth appeared more upset than she was and Brennan reached up to push back at the hand near her face. "I'm fine, Booth."

"Bones," he said, his voice a warning. There wasn't any way she was getting out of this conversation. But he took his hand away from her. Closing it into a fist in frustration, he opened it quickly, not wanting her to think there was anything threatening about the motion.

"Booth," she responded. Her tone was similar and Booth knew they were heading into dangerous territory. If both of them decided now was the time to be stubborn, it probably wouldn't end well between them. He needed to know and she needed time to make sense of it all. A bad combination at the best of times.

"I'm not avoiding. But there's nothing upsetting here. At least, I don't think so." Except for the children whose faces she couldn't see, didn't want to see. But she wasn't sure if that was upsetting or just a mystery. And now Booth was pushing when she needed time. "We can talk while we shower."

"You promise me that's what will happen? You'll talk to me." Because he knew how she operated and he didn't believe that it would happen. At least, not as easily as she was making it sound.

She'd already had plenty of time alone today. Booth wasn't giving her more.

He wouldn't do this. Not after telling himself to put it away. He wouldn't get angry about this. This was Bones and he trusted her to be honest with him. Even if the honest answer was that she wasn't ready to talk about it. Pushing her to do so before that point was not going to make this better.

"If you can manage to keep your hands to yourself," she said wiggling herself out of his arms. She tried to keep her voice light, but failed. Under any other circumstances, his body would have reacted to that much skin to skin contact. However, Bones had made the move in annoyance, not in temptation and he felt the difference. Besides, he was too busy trying to decide if he was angry to have any other reaction.

"I feel like you're avoiding me," he said, pulling the sheet over him. "You know what, that's fine." He'd already given up on the idea that she'd talk, he'd listen and then they would shower and get ready.

"I'm not avoiding," she snapped. "And it's clear that you're not fine." Reaching out she yanked the sheet from him and used it to wrap around her own naked body. "If you want to be angry, that's your choice. I offered to talk to you while we showered. That you couldn't wait five minutes for that is your problem right now, not mine."

They were making it a problem for both of them. But her brain was sorting through what she'd seen and Booth not giving her the time to do so was making her react in anger. Because anger meant that one of them would storm off and give her what she needed. Time.

His eyes darkened. "I'm not angry." Though it was clear to both of them he was. "My problem," he ground out between his clenched teeth, "is that you are walking away from me. I worry about you. I trust you. You don't lie to me."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" she asked quietly. She wrapped the sheet a little more tightly around herself. Raising her eyes to the ceiling, she sighed before bringing them back down again. "I'm not lying, Booth. I just needed a few minutes. All you had to do was walk with me to the other bathroom. And not push. Time and space, remember. All I wanted was time."

As dignified as a person could be while wrapped in a sheet, Brennan turned away from him.

But at the door of the room, she stopped with her back to him. "Now, I guess I'm getting space too."

"You're the one walking away right now, Bones."

Turning slightly, he could see her profile, but there was no way she could see him clearly. "It was gray. Nothing but gray. One of the victims from the serial killer case showed up. That's all I saw clearly. She was going to say something to me, but I woke up before she did. She wasn't upset and neither was I. Sorry if you were expecting something different."

It wasn't all, but all she could give him at that moment. There were all those faces she didn't want to see. But she couldn't deal with that and deal with whatever Booth was feeling. It was too much for her. She'd be on her own to sort through whatever was going on with herself.

And was that really his fault? Or hers?

"I wasn't expecting anything at all, Bones. Except that you might talk to me. Without us having to fight about it." Shoving himself out of the bed, he pulled on the shorts he'd discarded only an hour before.

"Like you've talked to me?" she pointed out.

"What do you think we did on that terrace last night?" he asked. "Because I'm pretty sure that was me talking to you."

"About part of it," she snapped back. "I don't always know people, Booth, but I know you. You're the only person I've ever been able to make sense of. And I know there is something else. Share it or don't. But don't you get angry at me when I make the same choice."

He took several steps toward the door, but she quickly backed away from him. The move startled him and he froze.

"What the hell, Bones?" he asked, the anger draining from his voice. This was ridiculous. "I don't even know why we're arguing. Because I was worried and thought I could help? And why are you backing away from me like I'm some sort of threat to you?"

That hurt, more than he wanted it to. He'd never given her any reason to fear him. She had to know what a move like that would do to him. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Booth focused on anything but her.

Brennan watched him go pale. "I'm not afraid of you," she said. Reading the look on his face, her annoyance with him spiked. "And I'd take care of myself if you tried anything like that with me. You are not your father and it makes me even madder that you fear that I would ever think that when I look at you."

"Bones," he tried, unsure whether he was going to explain or apologize or say something else entirely. She was right and he knew it. But so was he.

"Stop talking," she interrupted. "I'm angry with you right now. That is why I stepped back." Brennan squared her shoulders. "Take a shower in here, Booth. I no longer need to talk to you since I just told you what you wanted to know. We have plans. Unless you wish to change them?"

He blinked at her. "Why would I change them? I want to spend time with you."

There was a flash of what Booth thought was relief in her eyes as she turned away from him again.

Sinking down to the bed, Booth watched her storm off wrapped in the sheet from the bed. "Nice job, Booth. Handled that perfectly." No longer sure who he was angrier with, Bones or himself, he stared at the empty door, trying to figure out what to say to her the next time he saw her.


	10. Chapter 10

Brennan was close to tears while she struggled with the clasp to the bracelet Booth had given her. Frustrated with him, with herself, she leaned against the edge of the sink and resisted the urge to rip the bracelet from her wrist. Anger over a stupid argument would pass. She'd never forgive herself if she destroyed a gift Booth gave her.

Fingers drifting from her wrist to the wedding band she wore, Brennan considered the other gifts Booth had given her. The ring just after deciding to stay married. Plastic toys, a pig and a smurf, that meant so much. What were they doing to each other?

Swiping at her cheeks, she gave up on the bracelet. Hopefully getting it wet wouldn't ruin it, but it looked like she didn't have a choice but shower with it on.

What was the matter with the two of them? They were better than this. They communicated better than this. Had worked hard on it during these first years of their marriage. Had they really fallen back into old patterns so easily?

Why had she stopped sharing with him? Letting him help her with the things she couldn't figure out on her own. To keep him from worrying was a poor excuse, it only made him worry more.

Her eyes went to the closed bathroom door. She hadn't locked it, but knew he wouldn't come in. She could hear him in the other room getting whatever he needed to prepare for the evening. Unable to do that, she had no idea where they were going, she'd come into the bathroom with nothing but the sheet she'd wrapped around herself.

It was a huge room. Walk in shower with multiple shower heads, a bath big enough for two. All done in the same whites and blues that dominated the resort. Brennan loved that shower and had considered speaking to Booth about renovating the one at home. But that was all she'd done, think about it. Were they so far apart she couldn't even tell him she really liked the shower?

This couldn't continue. He asked and didn't like the answers. She didn't like the questions and walked away. He misread what she did and she responded in anger instead of understanding. Booth pushed and she pushed back.

They were stubborn and passionate.

Both hiding what was going on in their heads.

And they could do better.

For themselves and for each other. Because Brennan didn't like this. Someone had to change the pattern they'd let themselves become trapped in. It was unacceptable and they were hurting each other. Something that she would not allow to continue.

She'd warned him. Warned him that she would hurt him. But if she knew she was doing it, it was time to stop it.

Shaking her head, she looked back at the shower and toward the closed door. Not sure if it was a good idea, Brennan opened the door with an audible click.

Booth turned at the sound to see her leaning against the sink. The sheet was still wrapped around her. The white reminded him of her wedding gown and he shook his head to dispel the image. Now was not the time to remember that moment. Then again, maybe there was no better time.

Maybe that was exactly what he needed to remember. She was frustrating and private. Strong until she broke. He loved everything she was. He knew her, knew what she needed the most and pushed anyway. Made a choice that was more about him and less about her.

Booth loved her. Needed her. Would she understand if he just walked forward and held her close for a few minutes? Understand that he was angry and frustrated and just wanted to feel her skin against his?

Would he be able to find the words to explain she couldn't have picked a worse time to back away from him?

"Bones?" he asked, unsure of what she wanted now. Or what he wanted.

The voice was tentative. But her eyes. For a heartbeat, he let herself fall into her stare. Feeling as if she could see every secret he tried to hide. If only it were that easy. "I hate it when you cry," he said into the silence.

Taking the corner of the sheet into her hand, Brennan used it to wipe her cheeks. "I can't get my bracelet off." She held out her hand toward him. The other hand continued to hold the sheet. As a peace offering it wasn't much. But it gave her an excuse to speak to him.

Now that the door was open, she didn't know where to start. "I wish you'd tell me," she said softly. "I know something happened. Before we left for Greece. During the case, maybe." Her voice had turned thoughtful.

Booth froze. "I wish you'd tell me," he countered. "What bothered you in that dream. I know something did." He looked down at her wrist and back at her in time to see the flash of surprise in her eyes. Was it the answer he gave? Or the lack of argument with what she'd said? "I thought you needed help with your bracelet."

His look was considering and long and she thought he might not help her. Bones stood there, arm outstretched, waiting for him to make a choice. Worried he might step back, knowing something would break between them if he did, Brennan bit her lip. But he came forward and stopped just close enough to reach the clasp. He fingers barely brushed against her as he unhooked the bracelet to hand to her. It was definitely different from when he'd put it on her.

Brennan looked down at her wrist and back at him, realizing he'd done everything in his power to touch her as little as possible.

"We leave in an hour," he offered. A hand rubbed the back of his neck and he stared at his feet. "You'll need warm clothes. Comfortable shoes. A pair of pants and a jacket or sweater will work."

He moved to leave but Brennan reached out and grabbed his hand. Maybe he wouldn't touch her, but she wasn't doing that. Sure he'd planned something romantic for the two of them, Brennan knew they needed to clear this up. Beneath her grip, hIs skin was cool and she squeezed slightly. "Come in and close the door, Booth."

There was a weight to her voice Booth didn't like. He wouldn't admit it, but he suddenly feared what she might say to him. Feared what he might do if she pushed at the anger he'd just begun to force back. It was better if they took a break from each other. "I don't want to fight again, Bones. I'll go down the hall."

This was done. A cold shower would give him time to calm down before he took her out for the evening. They would both be better for it.

Except she wasn't going to make it that easy. "Come in or stay out there. But you'll listen. Please."

He bristled at the command, even after she tried to soften it. "Listen to you tell me that I'm worrying about nothing? Because I've already heard that song and I don't care to repeat it."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "I didn't sing to you, Booth. What song are you talking about?" She shook her head and continued talking before he could explain. "I'm trying here, Booth. The least you could do is the same."

She honestly thought he wasn't? Hadn't they just fought because he tried to get her to talk to him?

"Trying to what?" he snapped. The end of the sheet trailed after her and his eyes followed it as she moved around the bathroom. He was sure there'd be some sort of talk among the staff on how it ended up in here.

Unsure of why she was still bothering with it, Brennan finally dropped the sheet. Kicking it to the side she went to the opposite side of the room to start the shower. "It was Abigail. In my dream. One of the victims," she said, raising her voice to be heard over the sound of the water. "There were others there but I couldn't see them. I don't know why I couldn't. I didn't really want to."

The clear description of what she'd experienced had him biting back his next comment. He watched her with suspicious eyes. The last sentence she'd said bothered him. "Ten minutes ago we were arguing over that dream. Now you're telling me about it without asking. What changed?"

"We can't keep doing this." She stuck her hand in the water to test the temperature before stepping beneath it. "Or I won't do this. Making the same mistakes over and over again. Not talking to each other. Reacting in anger. Hurting each other. I learn from mistakes, try not to repeat them. So I'll give you the answers you want or need. What you choose to do with them is up to you."

Dipping her head under the water, she rinsed her hair before opening her eyes to look at him. "And maybe if I do that, you'll do the same. Are you taking a shower, or not?" she asked when he didn't speak.

He gasped out a laugh. "Bones, there is no way I'm getting in that shower with you and only talking. You're naked. I'm naked. I don't know how much willpower you think I have, but it isn't that much." To emphasize his point, Booth shoved his hands in his pockets. "Besides, I'm angry. And I don't want to touch you when I feel like this."

Shrugging pragmatically, she kept showering. Then rubbed her palm across the glass to clear the condensation. "You've never touched me in anger, Booth," she said confused by the comment. When he just shook his head, she considered how he looked standing there. And didn't like what she saw. "Anything else you need to know? Or want to share with me?" she asked.

Booth crossed his arms over his chest and looked down toward his feet again. There was plenty he needed to share and she was doing her best to give him an opportunity. "Why her, do you think? What about the faces you couldn't see?" He stepped out of the room briefly and returned with one of the bathrobes.

Sighing in frustration, Brennan continued to shower. If she thought she could manage it, she might have just pulled Booth in there with her. Maybe that would finally get his attention.

"Abby was the victim that made the greatest impression. She didn't fit the pattern. And because she broke the pattern, she gave me the most evidence. As for the other faces, I don't have an answer. But it's making me uncomfortable." Leaving the water running, she stepped from beneath it. "Your turn," she said, grabbing a towel from the bar. Rubbing it briskly across her skin she reached for the robe he held out to her.

He waited until she'd wrapped it around herself before grabbing her upper arms. Her skin was warm beneath the material and water from her hair dampened her shoulders. "You scared me," he said on a sigh. "I didn't know whether to wake you up or let you sleep. I was terrified I was making the wrong choice. Then because I was uncomfortable, I pushed when I should have taken a step back."

"You should have just said so." She tilted her head and studied him. "We've fallen into old habits of not saying things to each other. It has to stop, Booth. We have to stop it."

The kiss he pressed to her lips was gentle. When he pulled back, he let his forehead fall into hers. "I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized.

"I have never, in my life, been afraid of you." She kept her voice low, his face still close to hers. "Afraid for you, because I know you would die for me. Afraid of what you make me feel, because it's a part of me now, and I'm not sure I could live without it. But afraid that you would hurt me physically? You wouldn't do it. You'll never do it."

The robe was tied loosely and Booth opened it a bit more. Sliding his hands into the gap, he pressed them into her side, just above her hips. Unsure of what was going on, Brennan's hands came up to rest on his arms. "What is it?" she asked, recognizing he was looking for comfort.

"I lost my patience during one of the interviews," he blurted out. "The last interview. When I knew he was lying because of the evidence you had given me. When I knew he was the one who killed those kids. I was so damn angry. And he just kept lying. And I just kept getting angrier." His forehead still rested against hers and he'd closed his eyes. Brennan held herself very still, bringing up one hand to rest on his cheek.

"Who stopped you?" Brennan asked. "Besides yourself?" There was no judgement in her voice. She'd seen those children. Was intimately aware of exactly what had been done to them.

"Cullen." Booth's breath shuddered out. "Cullen was observing the interview. Because it was such a high profile case. There was going to be a press conference or something after. He yanked me out of there a split second before it might have been too late. Didn't say a word when he did it. But when we got outside, he told me he'd finish everything up. Then sent me to you."

Brennan replayed that evening in her head. It had been so late and she'd been very tired. And she'd already known she was going to have to admit to Booth she needed a break. He'd shown up to the Lab and told her it was over. She hadn't seen that there was anything wrong, but Booth had always been as good as she was at hiding what he dealt with.

"Booth," she said carefully. "I need to ask you something." Beneath her hands, she felt the muscles tighten. "Are you struggling because you think I might lie to you? Or how you might react to it if you think I do? It's not the lies you fear, but the anger."

When his entire body shuddered this time, Brennan knew she'd figured it out. Dropping her hand from his cheek, she pulled him against her. His hands slid around to her back and his head fell to her shoulder.

Booth scooped her up and placed her on the counter. The change in position made it easier for Brennan to wrap her arms around him and hold on. "You are not your father," she said, her lips close to his ear. "You worry too much about it for it to ever be a concern."

"I could have killed him. Pictured myself doing it. I might have if Cullen hadn't stepped in." It would have cost him everything. Bones. Parker. His job. Everything that mattered to him. And in that moment, Booth hadn't been sure he cared.

The anger, so quick to rise, and terrifying in its ferocity. Booth had been able to see his next moves as clearly as any movie he'd ever watched. He wasn't sure what had made Cullen step into that room, he'd barely risen from his seat on the opposite side of the table, but Booth suspected it was his eyes. He'd seen them, in the restroom he'd stopped in before leaving the Hoover and they'd been flat. Emotionless. Cold. His father's eyes when the man had been too drunk to know what or who he was hitting.

"You wouldn't have," Brennan said. "And I have plenty of evidence to support that if you want to hear it. You were standing for all of those kids that couldn't do it for themselves. Did you fight Cullen when he came in to get you?" Booth, face still pressed where she couldn't see it, shook his head slightly. "You stepped back. Stopped yourself from taking a step you couldn't come back from. You scared yourself. Are still scaring yourself. But not me. Never me."

She wished Cullen had called her. Maybe, if she'd known, Brennan could have kept this from getting this far. She traced her fingers down the bare skin of his back. "You just thought I was keeping that dream from you. You didn't threaten me with fists or words. There are no bruises here, Booth. Just the self-inflicted ones you're carrying."

His arms remained tight around her and Brennan waited, knowing she'd sit there as long as it took him. The shower was still on and the sound of the falling water filled the bathroom. Brennan continued to run her hands over his bare skin, offering comfort.

"Did you know there are two hundred six bones in the human body?" she asked softly. Brennan didn't know how to whisper nonsense to help settle someone, but she did know facts. And Booth had said earlier that sometimes it was her voice and not the facts she said that he found soothing.

"Of those bones," she continued, "there are twenty-six in each foot. It means more than one quarter of the bones in the human body are found in your feet."

Brennan couldn't see his, but knew they were bare again. And knew from his x-rays that many of those bones had been broken. They'd healed enough so he could walk, but the scars were there, if you knew how to look.

"The phalanges are the bones in the toes. Your big toe only has two, but the rest of your toes each have three." She felt him start to relax. His arms weren't wrapped as tightly around her. The muscles she ran her hands up and down were loosening up.

When he finally stepped back, she let him go. "Feet, huh?" he said. Booth looked down at his own and wiggled his toes. "I had five surgeries. Three on the left and two on the right. I don't remember much about the first. Just woke up with both feet in casts."

And the fear that when the casts finally came off, he'd never fully recover.

Using the sleeve of the robe, Brennan wiped at her face, where the water from her wet hair had run down it. His skin was also damp and she tried to dry him as well. He never talked much those injuries and she never pushed. "I thought, given your history, you would have a better chance of having an idea what I was talking about. In case you wanted to hear the facts and my voice." She bit her lip, wondering if she'd made everything worse. "Was I wrong?"

His eyes were haunted and very far away. "No, not wrong. I worry that I'll get angry and forget, just for that moment. Forget who I am and just act in anger. I can't do this without you," he said. "I don't know how else to say it. I screwed it all up. I should have just told you. I thought I could handle it."

"Booth, look at me," she said. And when he forced himself to, she gave him a smile. Soothingly, she trailed her fingers down the side of his face. "The good news is, you don't have to do it without me. I shouldn't have stepped back from you, even in anger. It was the wrong choice. You are never going to hurt me. You scared yourself, then didn't have time to deal with it because I announced I needed a break. So you scared yourself and then I scared you."

"It's fine. I know you don't see me that way, like my old man." Booth blew out a breath. "I just worry that I'll react in anger and do something like he did. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that, if I hurt you. I love you. Just remember that. Okay? No matter what happened tonight, or what happens in the future. Please remember that I love you."

"I love you, too. And I never forget anything." He smiled at the truth of that statement. "Now hurry up and shower. You made plans. I'm sure they will be romantic and wonderful. I don't want to miss them."


	11. Chapter 11

Booth held his hand out to her and helped her step on to the deck of the boat. While he took care of passports and questions from the crew, Brennan looked around appreciatively. Beneath her feet, the boat rocked gently in the waves and she widened her stance slightly to maintain her balance.

It was romantic and while she'd assumed that, this was more than she expected. Brennan turned her head slowly, letting her eyes take it all in. After talking about watching the boats, he'd booked a trip on one. Based on the size, Brennan assumed there wouldn't be many couples on the boat with them. She looked forward to a quiet evening with her husband.

Continuing her perusal, her eyes fell on Booth. His hair was a bit longer than he usually wore it and he hadn't done anything but towel it dry after his quick shower. There hadn't been time for him to shave either. Paired with jeans and a dark t-shirt, it gave him a dangerous edge.

Her breath caught and she wondered how she'd ever considered not giving this a chance three years before. She didn't regret and never would the decision she'd made to stay with him. There was a part of her that was thankful for what happened. Marriage between the two of them would have taken a lot longer without that one evening in Las Vegas.

Watching him openly now, she saw his posture was stiff as he went through the motions of taking care of everything.

Brennan sighed, and gave serious thought to calling Cullen after they returned to DC. The man had been smart enough to send Booth to her, but not call and give her a heads up. Could she have prevented Booth feeling the way he had about what happened? More than likely not. But she would have been able to discuss it with him before it went this far.

Before he worried that he'd hurt her if she was anything less than honest with him.

He felt her eyes on him and hurried to finish with the crew. Finally done, he met her gaze and raised an eyebrow in question.

Despite the fact he knew exactly what she was doing. Watching him, reading things in his body language. She'd know he was still on edge just from the way he carried himself. Still, there was love in her eyes and he gave her a warm smile.

Brennan never worried Booth would be anything like his father. Would never hit an innocent person in anger. He'd take a bullet for her without a second thought. But he carried that burden and probably always would. Any idea that it was that fear running through his head and she would have stood her ground during that argument.

Embarrassed to be caught staring, Brennan shook her head but didn't look away as he approached. "I love you," she said. Pulling his head down, she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before releasing him. "I'm worried about you. I'm angry with Cullen. You are very handsome. That's all."

Surprised by the compliment she'd added in with the rest, he was silent for a moment. "Okay," he finally said. "That's a lot. I'm worried about you. And I love you too." He took his hand in hers. "What do you think?" he asked. He directed her toward where food and drinks were available and watched as she made her selection. "Back to wine?"

"Seems like the appropriate choice for something like this. But only one. I want a clear head. It's beautiful. I've never been on a sunset cruise before."

"It takes about two and half hours," Booth said, selecting a drink for himself before leading her to an area where they could sit next to each other. "I don't think we leave Greece, so I'm not sure why we needed our passports, but maybe we get far enough away from the island that it matters."

"At least the weather is beautiful tonight," Brennan said. She tilted her head back to look up at the clear sky. "When the stars come out, I'll point out the constellations."

"You're beautiful," he said huskily before taking a sip of his own drink. He looked off into the distance where several other boats were departing for the same type of activity. "Maybe we'll see a kraken tonight."

Her eyes narrowed and she tipped her head toward him. "A kraken?"

"You know," he explained, his eyes dancing, "A kraken. Giant octopus that sinks ships without warning."

"I know what a kraken is, Booth. I also know that legends say it lives near the coasts of Norway and Greenland. Two places I'm sure are nowhere near Greece."

"The ocean is a deep, mysterious place, Bones. Very little of it has been explored. There could be a kraken here that hasn't been discovered yet."

Tilting her head, she tried to decide if he was serious. Then decided it didn't matter. "It's entirely possible you are correct, Booth. I hope you swim well."

"I swim fine. Of course we haven't actually left the shore yet so it's not like I'd have to go far. Are you telling me you believe in the kraken?"

She reached out to pat his cheek, before running her palm down the stubble. "It wasn't a octopus, but a squid." There was laughter in her eyes when she pulled her hand back. "And in the 1930s, there were reports of giant squid attacking ships. So, it's entirely possible we could see a kraken tonight. But the only swimming I want to do is in the pool at the hotel." She went back to studying the sky.

"Our pool," he agreed, leaning toward her. "The one where we don't wear suits." He fiddled with the cup he still held in his hand. "Listen, Bones, we're good, right?" The question was out of his mouth before he'd really thought about asking it. Maybe it was better that way. Very little time to worry about what her answer might be.

She dropped her head and looked at him. Brow furrowing in confusion, she tried to understand the question. "I don't understand what you are asking," Brennan finally admitted. "Are you asking if we feel okay? Because I don't get motion sick, Booth. And the boat hasn't left the dock yet, though I believe it's getting ready to. Do you feel sick?"

"No, I don't get motion sick. And that's not what I was asking." He pulled at a nonexistent string on his jeans. "What I was asking about was our relationship. Our marriage, I guess. We're good? Solid?"

It had been one of her greatest fears. That Booth would tire of her and walk away. Now, he worried that Bones would be the one to make that choice. He'd pushed too hard earlier and now the worry that she wouldn't tolerate that behavior was making him consider things he'd never thought of before.

Plus there was the insecurity he carried about turning into his father. And his anger issues. Maybe she was going to figure out that he wasn't quite the catch she thought he was.

Brennan stared at him, her eyes now as dark as the sea they'd started to sailed on. "Did you ask me that here because you knew I wouldn't cause a scene on the boat? Or because you knew there was no place for me to go?" Her eyes flicked toward the railing of the boat and back again. Booth had the distinct feeling she was trying to decide if she could throw him overboard. "Maybe you should do some up close searching for the kraken," she mumbled under her breath.

Booth coughed to try and cover his laugh. But she slanted a glance at him and Booth knew she'd heard. If that's what she decided, to throw him over, he would just jump and save her the trouble.

When she didn't rise from her seat and walk away in disgust, Booth sighed. "It's just something I've been thinking about." He looked around them to see they were essentially still alone. There were a two other couples on the boat, but they had congregated farther away. Given how they were interacting, Booth assumed they knew each other. He turned slightly so he could keep them in his line of sight.

It gave them enough privacy that he felt comfortable explaining himself. "We've been together as much as we've fought during this trip. And while the sex has been amazing, the fights haven't exactly been small. I can't imagine that's what you planned when making the reservations."

The boat rocked gently as it began to make it's way around the island, the setting sun brilliant in the sky. The hair she'd tied up in a ponytail glowed with oranges and reds. Reaching up, he pulled the tie out of it freeing it to fall to her shoulders. He smoothed it with his palm as the breeze teased it around her face. The move appeared casual but felt extremely intimate to Brennan.

She looked at him curiously. "Why didn't you say you didn't like my hair?"

Booth shrugged. "It looked fine." He twirled a loose strand around his fingers. "I just like it when it's down."

Taking the tie from him, she wrapped it around her wrist. It gave her time to think about an answer. Then, looking at Booth, decided the question didn't deserve an answer at all.

"Your question is irrational and ridiculous," she finally said. "You are neither. Stop worrying about things that you don't even need to think about. Yes, we are solid, to use your term. I had no preconceived notions about this trip. If what is occurring is what we need in order to find our center again, then I'm fine with it."

Clearing his throat, Booth looked down into the glass that held what remained of his drink, He swirled it around before drinking what was left. He felt an urge to laugh at her very Bones answer. Instead, he took her chin in his fingers and tipped her face back to kiss her tenderly. Her sigh was soft when he lifted his head. "Would you like something to eat?"

Brennan looked toward the food and then back toward the view. "Bring me something?" she asked. "I don't want to give up our seats, even if there are very few people on the boat. You know what I like."

His lips brushed her cheek and he stepped away from her. She sighed again and shivered slightly. The night air was cool without his body next to hers and she wrapped her arms around herself.

Turning in her seat, she watched Booth select a little of this and some of that, holding both plates tightly in one hand. She didn't often get a chance to watch him and Brennan took advantage of it now. When another couple joined him in fixing plates, Booth gave them a polite smile, but didn't engage in conversation. She smiled slightly, knowing he wasn't being unfriendly. It was more that he was focused on taking care of her and didn't want to be distracted.

Maybe she should have retrieved their plates. Given him time to relax and stare at the sky as the colors changed. Or the sea as it turned dark in the setting sun. Except making him think he was fragile or broken somehow was the worst thing she could do for him. Allowing him to take care of her, reminding him that she trusted him to do so, would fix this faster than anything else she did.

"Penny for your thoughts," he offered, holding a plate out to her. "Most of it was meats but I found a few things you should like."

"My thoughts are worth more than a penny," she argued, selecting a cracker from the plate. "In fact, I'm positive you would pay more for them." She chewed thoughtfully. "We have a few more days here. Then we are making one more stop before we go home."

"You mentioned that before." Booth said. "This was more than enough, Bones."

"I know a lot about the period in your life before we met, Booth. There is simply a place near here I would like to show you. I thought you might be interested in learning something new about me. We aren't staying in a hotel that's anything like this one. Still, I think you will like it." She chose another cracker from the plate. Their flavor was interesting and she tried to figure out what the ingredients were.

"I want to see whatever is important enough that you want to show me." Booth paused to eat some of his own food before taking a deep breath. "And after that?"

"After that, we'll go home and go to work again," she answered simply, ignoring the way Booth's body stiffened next to hers. "Unless that's not what you want to do. It is clear now we both pushed ourselves a bit too hard. Maybe you are now considering doing something else. Maybe you need more time before you go back to work. I can take more leave from the Jeffersonian if you need me to."

Booth closed his eyes briefly then opened them slowly. Savoring the hope that they could continue to be partners after this vacation was over. "Why are you angry with Cullen?" he asked.

Brennan's blue eyes flashed and Booth knew she was more than simply angry. He'd been on the receiving end of that look a few times and it usually wasn't pleasant. "If he was aware enough to know you needed me," she said, careful to keep her voice low, "he could have picked up the phone to let me know what happened."

Swallowing the bite of food he'd taken, Booth shook his head. "Cullen had more important things to take care of."

It was the wrong thing to say. He could see it in her face, but he was impressed at her self-control as she let no one else on that boat know what was going on. "You are more important. Cullen's first priority should be his agents."

"Cullen has a lot on his plate. He shouldn't have to deal with me losing control in a situation where I can't do that." Booth feared doing something in that moment, when all he could see was red, that he couldn't or wouldn't be able to take back.

Finishing her own food, Brennan put her empty plate on top of his. "You didn't lose control. You didn't kill him, even if you wanted to. You know you could have, before Cullen entered that room."

"Are you trying to tell me what happened was okay?" His own voice was low, angry, at the thought she was giving him permission to do or be something he hated.

Her eyes met his. "I'm trying to tell you it's okay to be human, Booth. To have feelings and emotions. To want to kill a man to who killed numerous children. To think that you are the only one who felt that way is irrational."

Their heads were so close together that the other couples on the boat thought they shared an intimate conversation. How shocked they would have been to know what it was Booth and Brennan actually discussed.

"The part you always fail to see is that you don't do it. Your father wouldn't have stopped when Cullen came in the room. Wouldn't have walked away without a fight. You should be proud of yourself for that."

"You weren't there, Bones. You don't know what I did."

"That's the point, Booth. I don't have to be. I know you." She patted his thigh. "You won't cross that line. You've never crossed that line. Take some of that faith you believe in so strongly and apply it to yourself. Now, you brought me on a sunset cruise and I'd like to think about that. I'll deal with Cullen later."

Booth swallowed and decided to pretend he hadn't heard the last comment. If his wife was planning something, he wanted no part of it. "I can do that," he agreed, shifting slightly so he could pull her to his side. "You are an amazing woman, Bones." Motioning with his hand, Booth asked, "You ever been to this part of the world before?"

"Greece?" she asked. When he nodded, she pressed her lips together. "Not Greece, no. But I have been in Europe. This was where everyone wanted to study. All the big stuff that gets you the most attention."

There was a tone of judgement in her voice for her colleagues that made those choices. "You don't approve of that?"

"When my parents left, abandoned me," she amended, liking her facts to be correct, "it gave me a different insight on things than most other students had." As the sun descended toward the horizon, Brennan considered the choices she'd made. "Fame and attention wasn't why I was doing what I was doing. I hoped that someday I'd know enough, learn enough to be able to identify my parents. Because at that time, I was sure they were dead."

She tucked herself a little tighter under his arm. "Then it was Angela who put her face on that screen. It wasn't even me."

"I know you don't believe in fate," Booth said, laughing when she shook her head immediately, "but listen anyway. If you hadn't gone to work in DC, you wouldn't have met Angela. Without Angela, you would have found your mother, but not as soon. Maybe you and I meet, maybe we don't. But we don't become partners and get sent to Las Vegas together."

Her head tipped back. "You think fate got us married. Because I'm pretty sure that was over indulgence on alcohol."

"And I'm thankful every single day for that." Booth pulled her closer to his side and brushed his lips across his temple. The hair he'd freed tickled his cheek. "Since we have it right now, whether from fate or alcohol, let's just enjoy this."

She hummed an agreement and rested her head against his shoulder. One hand drifted to his thigh, resting lightly there. His other hand came over to cover hers. Intertwined as they were, it appeared as if only one person sat there, instead of two.

For them, the other couples disappeared until they were the only pair sitting on a boat, watching the sun set.

When her hand pulled away from his and lifted to swipe at her cheeks, Booth looked down in concern. "You good, Bones?" he whispered. Careful not to draw attention to her, Booth used his free hand to help clean her cheeks.

"I can't explain it," she said, waving her hand around her face. "It's perfect and I'm happy. Sometimes my memory is a curse. I remember everything, the good and the bad. But there are times, moments like this, when I'm thankful for it."

Booth's heart squeezed at the thought of what she'd endured in her past. "You explained it just fine," he said. "And when I'm old and can't remember anything, I'll have you to remind me."

Her laugh was musical. "You're the romantic. But after something like this, I can understand why you are. You'll remember this, Booth. I know you will. "

"Yeah," he agreed. His eyes shifted from her back to the sea where the last rays of the sun were disappearing over the horizon. "I'll remember this."


	12. Chapter 12

"I booked us one of the cabana things for in the morning," Booth said. He kicked his shoes off and threw his coat over one of the chairs. "We don't have to do anything but lie by the pool and drink tropical drinks. You can read that smut book you brought and come up with ideas for tomorrow afternoon."

Brennan smiled, still enjoying the calmness that had enveloped her on the boat. "Sounds nice, Booth. I'm going to sit on the terrace for a few minutes. It's a lovely evening. Maybe we'll see your giant squid go by."

He glanced at his watch. "You're not tired? It's getting late." Even as he suggested it, he knew he wasn't quite ready for the day to end either. "And it sounds much cooler when you call it a kraken. Maybe we could go back to the water and you could yell 'release the kraken.'"

It was a clear picture in his mind. Bones standing on the bow of the ship, hair streaming out behind her. Her eyes the color of the sea she commanded. What would she wear - he wondered - painting several different outfits over her figure, trying to find one he was happy with.

Lost in the fantasy, he almost knocked her over when she stopped abruptly. "Why would I yell something like that?"

"It's from a movie," he said, giving her shoulder a tap to get her moving again. His fantasy had become a little too exciting and he shook himself. "Never mind."

The sunset cruise had been everything he'd imagined it would be. And more. They were more relaxed with each other than they'd been in weeks. For the first time, he had real hope that everything would turn out okay.

"When we wake up another day will be gone," Brennan said. "I can't make it last forever, but I can try. Some nights are too perfect to let end."

"Bones, are you trying to bend the rules of science?" he teased. Brushing his hand over hers as he passed, he arranged chairs so they sat close to the edge and each other. Brennan propped her feet and leaned back so she could rest her head on the back of the seat and stare at the stars.

Booth mirrored her pose. "I'm not going to need more time off when we go back. I'll be ready if you are."

Her head rolled toward him then back to stare at the sky. "I think I'll be ready. I want to work with you. I want every moment I can get with you. But we have to change some things. What we let happen wasn't good for either of us."

That she wasn't entirely sure concerned him. He didn't like knowing there was something that still bothered her. But after tonight, he knew they were equipped to handle it, whatever it turned out to be.

"I know," he agreed. "Things need to change. We can't let this happen again. Do you have any ideas? Other," he added, "than the two of us actually talking to each other."

She laughed. "I always have ideas. I'm going to start taking some time off. A few weeks here and there." She didn't need to look at him to know what he was thinking. "I know I don't do well with vacations. But I need to take breaks. So do you. I recognize that now."

"So do you really think you can persuade the Jeffersonian to give you weeks of vacation each year?" He had his own vacation time to use. Did she see the two of them doing things together? After this week, he certainly hoped so. Even if they did nothing but stay home with the door locked. Phones off and food delivered. Pretend the world outside didn't exist for an entire week.

Continuing to look up at the sky, Brennan laughed. "Booth, I can take a significant amount of time off each year. And there is work that could be completed at the Lab during that time. I suggested the same thing to Cam when we left this time. There are usually ways to make something work."

Booth inhaled so hard in surprise he started to choke. Coughing hard, he wasn't quite sure whether or not to believe what she'd said. Except Bones didn't lie or exaggerate. "Significant?" he managed when he caught his breath. Then waved his hand in the air. "Don't define it. I don't think I want to know. But you've barely taken six days off since our second trip to that chapel in Vegas."

Brennan knew she had a very unusual contract with the Jeffersonian. But she'd never taken advantage of it, so the arrangement was mutually beneficial to both her and the institution.

"Where did you go, after that first case we worked together ended so badly? After I slapped you?"

It was such a turn, it took Booth a second to catch up. "Where did I go? Back to work. There were other cases, other things to investigate. Meetings to help me stop gambling. And I programmed your number into my phone. Not, that you answered it."

A whole year he'd gone without hearing her voice. Without seeing those blue eyes and the emotions she could never hide from him. Now he couldn't imagine going more than twelve hours.

"I didn't answer it at first because I wasn't there. I went on a dig. I knew you'd try and call me. It was easier to avoid you if I wasn't in the country. And I was so angry," she whispered at the end. Then shook her head to dispel the memory. "I was hoping after that time you would give up. And you did, at least for a little while."

Refusing to ever work with him again had been easy. At first. But as time passed and she reflected on what had happened between them, Brennan could admit that both of them were guilty of making mistakes. But it was Booth who'd made the first move to work with her again.

It seemed, she thought, casting a look in his direction, that Booth was the cause of a lot of their firsts.

"You left the country to get away from me?" He couldn't decide whether to be annoyed or flattered that he'd made such an impression. "What does this have to do with taking a break?"

She shrugged. "Just illustrating that I did and still can leave for months at a time. I know my arrangement is unusual."

Snorting, Booth laughed in disbelief. "I think I get three weeks of vacation," he grumbled. "Maybe four. Never tried to use that much at once."

"There were numerous scientific agencies that were interested in having me work for them after I finally passed my boards," Brennan said. "I simply picked the one that gave me the most freedom to continue my work at various digs around the world. And there were always requests for me to work on mass graves or difficult identifications. I needed as much freedom to come and go as could be provided to me. The Jeffersonian gave me that. In return, they got me."

Dropping his feet from the railing, Booth turned his chair to have a better look at her face. "There was a lot there for me to sift through, Bones. Let's start with this one. You finally passed your boards," he said, repeating her words. "What does that mean? You are too damn smart to have not passed them the first time."

Three years they'd been married. And Booth was still surprised at the things he didn't know about his own wife. He supposed Bones could say the same thing. Did other married couples know more about their significant other's history? Or did it just seem that way?

"Well," she said slowly. Even with the dim light on the terrace he could see the slight discomfort the question gave her. "Of course I was knowledgable enough," she said, not trying to be modest. "But I felt that practice was an outdated assessment of whether or not I had the necessary skills to be awarded that achievement."

The corner of his mouth lifted. "What did you do?"

"I told them so." She rolled her head toward him again. "It did not go as I expected." She considered what happened. "But you probably know exactly how it went."

Booth could picture it. Her scientific tone and stiff posture must have been more than those unsuspecting professors were prepared for. It would have been both horrifying and inspiring. He wished he could have witnessed it.

"Bones," he groaned, torn between laughter and embarrassment for his wife. "What happened after you were done?"

"After I was done with my speech," she said, moving her head to go back to staring at the stars, "a professor met me in the hall. And told me that there was no way I could change how that worked unless I first became a part of it. And while I didn't agree with the sentiment, I did have other goals I wanted to accomplish. And not passing my boards was going to get in my way. So the next time, I followed convention and did what was required of me."

"Has it changed since you told them how you felt?" Booth had a hard time believing anyone wouldn't listen to his wife. But he also knew how much institutions hated change. He worked for one and change as never as fast as you wanted it to be.

Brennan bit her lip. "No," she admitted. "Maybe that day will come. But it hasn't yet."

"You haven't gone on any digs since we married either," Booth said. "That's why I suggested that when you said you wanted a break. And I know that you have plenty of requests. It took me a few minutes to get through them all."

Requests had come from all over the world including several smaller islands he'd never heard of. His wife was the expert on, well it seemed like everything, and every agency and professor out there wanted a piece of her time.

"Yes, there have been plenty of requests," she agreed. And then fell silent. She wasn't sure how to explain it without making him feel the decision was his fault. "And I have considered several of them. But now, my life isn't ancient remains any more, Booth. Those digs used to be where I ran to hide when life was a bit too much. Now, I just run to you."

Her eyes were full of love as they met his. "When I first met you, you were a good reason to leave. Now, you are the best reason I ever found to stay home."

Brennan figured she got the best part of that deal. Running to Booth was much better than living alone in a tent for months at a time. And a lot less dangerous, though she'd never told him that part.

How much would it scare him to know she'd been threatened by armed commandos? Or the time she'd been thrown into a prison she was sure she'd die in. Would he even suggest such a thing if he knew her history?

"If you wanted to go, you know I wouldn't stop you," he said softly. No matter what he felt for her. "We'd find a way to make it work." Booth wasn't sure he could be away from her for that length of time. In fact, he knew he couldn't. But he'd find a way if that's what she wanted. Maybe being her body guard would be an option. He certainly enjoyed her body.

And protecting her was now so automatic, Booth knew he couldn't let anyone else do that in his place.

"Oh, I know that," Brennan said in a dismissive voice. "I look at those letters and then I look at you sitting across from me. I picture weeks or months with nothing more than letters or phone calls between us. If we were lucky, because sometimes the sites are too remote even for that. And after picturing all that, I realize I'm right where I want to be. And digs aren't always safe, Booth. But those are stories for a different day."

Before he could ask, she motioned with her hand toward the stars. "That group of stars right there is named Cetus. Cassiopeia, which is over there, once said she and her daughter, Andromeda, were more beautiful than the Nereids. Poseidon, furious with such a declaration, sent Cetus to attack." She flashed a smile. "Cetus was described as a sea monster. Probably friends with your kraken."

Booth turned his chair again so it was next to her. He wasn't naive or unfamiliar with the dangers she'd faced. Bones had mentioned mass graves in war torn countries. He'd been to places like that and was as familiar with the risks found there as she was.

Had suffered through his own hell on Earth waiting for rescue. Yes, he was intimately aware of the dangers she didn't often mention.

He was relieved her heart no longer led her in that direction. "Poseidon seems easily annoyed," he said, focusing on the story she chose to tell. "And I would love if the kraken was mine. I would rule the oceans with it."

Then he'd gift it to his wife, trying another outfit on the image of her he had in his head.

"Be careful or Poseidon will send something after you," she warned. Her eyes drifted towards him. His own had closed and Brennan smiled not realizing what he pictured there. "Considering, as you said, he was easily annoyed. Cassiopeia, wanting to stop the attack, tied her daughter to a rock by the sea. As a sacrifice to Cetus."

Whistling softly, Booth shook his head and reopened his eyes. Maybe he could persuade her to do a little role playing in the future. "Not a choice I would make, sacrificing a child. Keep talking, Bones. I like your stories."

"It isn't a choice you would make. You would go fight the monster yourself, like you already do." They fought too many monsters sometimes. "Perseus, who had just killed Medusa, found Andromeda, chained to the rock. And after learning of her fate, he killed Cetus. Some tales say he stabbed it in the back. Others say he used Medusa's head to turn it to stone."

"Sounds fair," Booth said. "What happened after that?" Her voice was entrancing and Booth could picture her telling this same tale to their own children someday. If she decided to go in that direction. If not, he would listen to her tales, when she chose to tell them.

"The hero married the princess. And Andromeda was lucky because she was supposed to marry her uncle. They, Andromeda and Perseus, had one of the happier marriages in Greek mythology and their descendant was said to be the founder of a new race, The Persians."

Booth reached out for her hand. "You picked a story with a happy ending. Not easy to do with Greek mythology. See, you're a romantic too. If I wasn't already madly in love with you, that would have done it for me." He squeezed her hand. "Ready for bed?"

"Yes. Thanks for a perfect evening, Booth." Keeping a grip on his hand, she rose. Brennan was turning toward him when somewhere in the distance someone laughed. It reminded her of the girl in her dream and she froze.

"Bones?" Booth said. Rising quickly, he stepped in front of her. But her eyes were blank. And not the kind of blank she used when she was trying to hide something from him. This blank meant she'd gone somewhere else. Saw something else. "Bones, what the hell?" he said his voice rising slightly. He gave her arm a gentle shake.

She blinked but remained unresponsive. He dropped her hand and grabbed her upper arms. The shaking was a little less gentle this time and a lot more panicked. "Bones, I need you to come back. Whatever it is, I've got you. Damn it, you're scaring me," he said harshly.

Her brain had slipped back to the cases. And instead of a terrace in Greece she saw all those faces in front of her wide open eyes. None of them were hidden now. Brennan knew she was scaring him even before he said it, but couldn't separate enough of herself to give him a single sign of reassurance.

She wasn't sure when the shaking started, but every cell vibrated beneath her skin. This was a ridiculous reaction to have to something that was long over. She'd done her job and done it well. Those children had justice, they'd made sure of it.

He managed to catch her when her knees buckled, keeping both of them on their feet. Knowing he was going to leave marks if he wasn't careful, Booth relaxed the bruising grip he had on her arms. "Bones, baby, I need you to tell me what is going on. Some sort of flashback?" he asked, grasping at straws. She'd been fine until she stood up. Someone had laughed, a child maybe, then nothing.

The shaking was transmitted from her arms to his hands. Alarmed, he didn't dare rub his hands down her skin, afraid that if he didn't support her, she'd collapse at his feet. His eyes took in her pale features and blank gaze, casting about for whatever had caused her behavior.

Was it the dream? But she'd told him there was nothing there that scared her. Unless it was something about the faces she hadn't been able to see.

The head shake was small, but she finally managed it. Then she nodded, unsure how to answer his question. Not a flashback necessarily, but an acknowledgment of what they'd been through before she could let it go.

Inhaling hard, her eyes closed as the faces winked out one by one until none of them remained. "I'm okay," she said, swaying slightly. "It's okay, Booth."

Booth held back the instinct to argue immediately. Instead, he took his own shaky breath. His palms slid down her arms to grip her hands. "What did you see?"

"Faces," she said, opening her eyes. Squeezing hard, their eyes met. "I saw all their faces. All those kids that I couldn't see as anything other than skeletons when I worked the case. I could see them as people now. I could mourn them. And I could let it go."

Dropping her hands, he reached up and cupped her face. His thumbs rested on her cheeks. "You," he said firmly, "do not get to make yourself feel guilty. You do what it takes to do a very difficult job. You have more respect for the dead than anyone I've ever met."

Liquid pooled in her eyes and when she blinked some of it trailed down her cheeks toward his thumbs. He brushed at it tenderly. "Doing what you do, what we do, is hard enough. It's harder when you see yourself in every victim."

He felt her start in surprise at his words and smiled gently at her. "Do you think, really think, that I wouldn't know what you saw when you looked at them? Children with no homes and no families? Of course you compared yourself to them."

Tears flowed faster now and she pushed his hands away to brush at her own cheeks. "So many years and I still get surprised at how well you know me." Steady fingers swiped at her cheeks again. "I'm really tired," she said, stepping into him. Her head came to rest on his shoulder. "During the case, before we had their names, I worried. It was illogical and irrational so I pushed it aside."

Her breath was warm against his neck. "Worried about what?" His arms wrapped around her and they swayed on the terrace.

"That if we weren't good enough or fast enough, the next child would be one we knew. So many of us have children, know children, I worried one of those faces would be familiar. That's why I didn't want to see them. I didn't want to see a face I knew. I didn't want to consider that any one of them could have been me."

"Yeah," Booth said, recalling his frequent phone calls to Parker. And that she'd been locked in the trunk of a car only hours from the same fate. "It's hard, I know what that feels like. But we got the guy, Bones. We did good and it's over now. You made sure everyone had their name on a headstone and a peaceful place to rest. Sometimes, that's the best any of us can do."

"I want to sleep," she said pulling back. "I want to go to bed and close my eyes and see sunsets and feel your arms around me. Can we just do that?"

He pressed a hard kiss to her forehead. "Come on. Let's go have happy dreams."


	13. Chapter 13

"Booth?" she groaned, trying to open her eyes. She managed a slit before the bright light in the bedroom had her closing them again. "What time is it?"

"It's going on one in the afternoon," he said from behind her. He felt her jump in surprise and kept his arm around her when she tried to get up. "Where are you going?"

"Didn't we have plans?" she asked. Brennan turned her head and tried to see him over her shoulder.

"I canceled them hours ago. This is the first time you've moved since we crawled into bed. I canceled the cabana and came back with you. You've been sleeping so hard I was starting to worry a little. I think yesterday was actually a week long."

He'd fallen apart, she'd fallen apart. Booth wasn't sure he was ready to face what today might bring.

"You just told me it was one in the afternoon," she reminded him. "We can't spend all day in bed."

"We could," he suggested. "But we are spending all day in the room. You and me. We'll watch television we don't understand or stay in the pool until our skin gets wrinkly and gross. But that's the extent of our plans for today."

"Booth, we can't waste an entire day in Greece by staying in the room," she argued, her voice exasperated. "There is so much to see here."

He hummed a noise and Brennan couldn't decide if that meant he agreed or disagreed. "There is a lot to see here. Today, I want to see you."

His voice was calm, soothing. And resolute. Brennan recognized that tone. It would be easier to give in gracefully than try to argue with him. But bickering with him was often its own source of fun. "I'm not staying in the room all day. But we can spend some time here. And I'm hungry."

Laughing because he knew he'd won at least part of the argument, Booth rolled away from her. "I ordered breakfast. Then, when you didn't wake up, I ordered lunch." He reached down to brush the hair from her face. "That's probably the best you've slept in a month. I wasn't waking you."

Considering what he'd said, Brennan realized he was right. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept that long or that well.

Brennan rolled over, noting he wore a pair of jeans, probably from when he'd risen earlier. He'd also taken the time to shave. She looked down to see she wasn't wearing anything at all. "Where are my clothes?"

Booth snorted. "You were tired last night. Not that I blame you. I folded them and put them on the dresser. You stripped them off when we came to bed. I'll go set out some food. Come out when you're ready."

"I'm not staying in the room all day," she said to his retreating back.

He waved a hand at her. "We can figure it out after we eat. Let me go get the food. Then I'm turning on the television. I'm curious about what kind of sports they play over here."

She watched him disappear out the door. Then shrugged. If he wanted to stay in the room, she might as well make it worth it.

After cleaning herself up and brushing her teeth, she grabbed one of his t-shirts. Brennan pulled it over her head letting it fall to her hips. The shirt was long enough that it wasn't apparent that she didn't have anything on underneath. Leaving the room, she looked to see where Booth had gone.

He sat on the couch in front of the television, flipping through channels. His chest was bare, jeans low on his hips. She licked her lips. "That's quite a selection of food," she commented, giving it a brief glance before focusing her attention on him. Despite her hunger, it wasn't really the food she was interested in right now.

How she'd gotten so lucky, she still wasn't quite sure. But looking at him right now, she was certainly glad she had.

Shaking her head, she forced herself to turn toward the kitchen area. On the counter were a variety of foods. It looked like he'd ordered every Mediterranean themed meal from the menu. He'd even ordered several different drinks, also out on the counter.

Feeling her stare, Booth fought the urge to turn her way. He'd been resting for hours next to her naked body. If it was a test of his willpower, he was dangerously close to failing it. But she needed to eat something so she'd have enough energy for how he'd imagined the two of them spending the rest of the day.

Wandering over, she leaned against the counter and began to eat straight from the platters. She wondered how long it would take Booth to actually pay attention to what she was doing. And what little she was wearing.

Booth's focus remained on the tv. "I got a bunch of everything. Should last the rest of today. I was serious when I said I wanted to spend the day with you." He clicked through a few more channels.

Brennan moved so she was behind the counter. "With me or with the television?" she asked him.

Unsure whether she was teasing or not, Booth turned the screen off. "You, of course." He looked at her curiously. And licked his lips. "Are you wearing one of my shirts?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice light. Knowing it was a battle he was rapidly losing. "We'll have to find a place to do laundry if you keep that up."

"Are you going to eat?" she asked, popping an olive into her mouth. She focused her eyes on the food in front of her. "And I'm sure, if you want to stay in the room, you won't need this shirt."

"I've been snacking while you were asleep." The gaze on her was intense and she did her best to continue to ignore it. If their eyes met, she knew there wouldn't be a chance to eat for a while. The energy in the room was shifting. She could feel it.

Selecting something off a different plate, Brennan made a show out of eating it slowly, her eyes remaining focused on everything but him.

"Bones," he said. But it wasn't a question. It was a warning.

She lifted her eyes and painted an innocent expression on her face. "Yes, Booth?"

Rising, he stalked across the room toward her. She shivered in anticipation, then lowered her eyes and continued to eat.

He stopped opposite of her, the counter full of food between them. If not for that food, he might have reached out and pulled her across it. Instead, he put a finger beneath her chin and tipped her face back. "You know exactly what you're doing, don't you?" Releasing her, he picked up a piece of fruit and held it in front of her. With his eyes not leaving hers, he fed it to her slowly, his fingers brushing across her lips.

"You are temptation," he whispered. "One I am tired of fighting. I want you."

She smiled and there was nothing innocent about the look this time. "Then take me," she challenged. "If we are staying in the room, there is no sense in wasting the day."

OOooOOoo

This time, Brennan woke first. Leaving Booth sleeping, she slipped from the couch to take a shower. How a person could sleep as long as she had and still take a nap was a mystery to her. But somehow, she'd managed it.

She was antsy. There was nothing wrong that she could discern, but she knew there was no way she could spend the rest of the evening in the room.

They'd made love in bedroom. Then gone for a swim and enjoyed each other again by the pool. Her skin flushed as she recalled the way they'd worshipped each other's bodies. Followed by Booth turning the television back on so she could curl up next to him. Apparently they'd both dozed off as some point.

But now she needed to move. From the walls that suddenly felt just a bit too close. There hadn't been any dreams of that sort, the nightmares that never totally went away. For that, she was thankful.

But not having a set schedule was hard for her sometimes. Eventually the lack of focus, of not having a problem that needed to be solved, made it impossible for her to sit still. Her mind would spin and spin, worrying over things, thinking about things that were best forgotten.

It was why longer vacations were more difficult for her. And why she avoided them. Brennan recognized the triggers that made her feel like this and did her best to work around them. But they'd needed this vacation and she'd wanted to do this with Booth. She refused the spend the rest of her life never taking a real vacation.

Usually, she'd just go to the lab and find something to work on. Hide from her colleagues and pretend she was still away. Eventually, she'd just quit taking vacations all together.

But Booth was here and she wasn't anywhere near the lab. It wasn't like she could just get on a plane and go home without him.

It was a mistake she'd made once before. One she would never repeat.

He was staring at the door when she walked back out of the bedroom. She was still wrapped in a towel and while his eyes traveled up and down her body, he made no move toward her.

What he feared when she mentioned a long vacation was written all over her face. But there was no lab to take her to and he was running ideas through his head to give her what she needed to settle her down.

"What do you need?" he asked. Maybe she'd be able to tell him. "What can I do?"

She blinked at him, her mouth opening and closing several times. It shouldn't surprise her that he read her mood so well. "I need to get out of the room," she finally said. "I can't spend the rest of the night here."

He tilted his head, considering, before finally nodding. She'd expected annoyance or an argument but what she saw in his eyes was acceptance. Of who she was and what she needed. "Wear comfortable shoes and something you can walk in." Maybe just moving would be enough.

She watched him rise and smiled slightly. He had pulled his jeans back on after their time by the pool but there was so much skin on display she couldn't stop herself from looking.

He chuckled as he got close. "Get dressed, Bones. And stop thinking so much," he said. "You can get me naked again later." Booth continued to the bathroom and closed the door between them.

It took her a moment to convince herself, but she finally moved away from the door and toward the dresser. Her eyes drifted toward the shirt of Booth's she'd worn earlier, but she discarded it as an option. She had been able to read Booth's mood and it was clear that he wasn't angry with her for changing his plans. She didn't need the reassurance his clothes typically gave her.

Booth exited the bathroom in time to hear the door to the room slam shut. Swearing viciously, he dressed and shoved items into his pockets. She knew how he felt about her wandering around on her own and she'd left without him. Hell, Bones didn't even know where they were going.

Not that he did either. He'd initially thought a walk might be enough to settle her down. Now, he wondered if she needed something more intense to settle the disquiet that had taken her over. Vacations weren't always the best choice for his wife. When she didn't have a project to work on, her mind tended to construct things for her to think about. And sometimes that thinking led her to create problems that didn't exist.

Hurrying through the room, he wrenched the door open to follow her. Then threw his arms out to catch her when she stumbled back toward him.

"You're lucky my reflexes are fast," he said, making sure she was steady on her feet before releasing her. "Were you leaning against the door? I figured I'd have to run to catch you."

Brennan looked down at his feet. "Sorry. Just needed a break from four walls. Only to realize that in the hall, there are still more walls. I couldn't keep going because I knew how you'd feel if I left without you. I could have just gone to the terrace. But I couldn't go back because I left my key in the room." She shrugged, realizing she was babbling. "So I was stuck leaning against the door waiting for you to come find me. I knew it wouldn't take long."

"Anything you need to share?" he asked, reaching down to take her hand.

She shook her head but didn't speak again until they had exited the front of the hotel. Booth let her take the lead and was surprised when she led them toward the beach. "Just antsy," she said. "I'm glad you aren't angry with me."

He glanced at her. "Why would I be angry with you?" Looking around him, he realized there were a lot of people out. It was late in the afternoon, quickly turning to evening, but still early for dinner on the Greek Island. It seemed everyone was out enjoying the summer sun and pleasant temperatures. "What are we doing?"

"Walking," she answered, making it sound like the most obvious thing in the world.

"Where are we going?" Booth asked.

Brennan sighed, the first hint of impatience she'd shown. "I don't know. I don't have a destination or a plan. Which is part of my problem right now. I'm going to walk this way and then I'm going to turn around and come back. And then, if I'm not ready, I'm going to do the same thing again."

"Okay," he said easily. He threaded his fingers between hers and squeezed her hand.

"We need to get closer to the water," she said, tugging on his hand.

"I don't want to get my shoes wet, Bones," he said, tugging in the opposite direction.

Stopping, she gave him an angry glare. "The sand is too uneven for you here. It will be easier for you to walk down where the sand is more compacted. Quit fighting me," she said. This time, when she pulled, he followed her. "You aren't helping me when you fight me."

Booth glanced in her direction, but she didn't look his way. The late afternoon sun was warm, but not uncomfortably so and he enjoyed the feeling of it on his skin. Content to walk with her as long as she needed him to, Booth forced himself to focus on his surroundings and not the woman walking next to him.

She was thinking so loudly, Booth was sure he could hear her. He wasn't overly concerned with her mood. Given time she usually settled. Of course that was when she was home and could pull out a journal to read or work on writing an article. Here, she had none of those outlets, or any of her notes in order to do something like that.

Not sure what he could offer to shake the mood she was stuck in, Booth maintained a steady pace next to her, hoping if she needed something she'd ask for it.

"My brain won't stop spinning," she said, then grimaced at her description. "I hate when I put things in a way that are impossible scientifically. It's why I never take vacations. They just don't work for me."

"You're fine, Bones," Booth reassured her. "Lot's of people get antsy when they have nothing to do. We'll walk until you're good and it that doesn't work, we'll figure something else out."

"You make it sound so easy," she sighed. "Walking won't tire my brain out. Just our calves from walking in the sand."

"Well," he said, dragging out the word, "what will tire it out? We could go back to the room and you could name every bone in the human body for me. All two hundred six of them. Then you can point out where every single one is. I'll happily volunteer to be your model. Naked, of course."

To his surprise, she laughed at the offer. "I'll keep that in mind."

They continued walking, hand in hand and Brennan was surprised to feel herself relaxing. Maybe, she'd been more right than she realized when she mentioned that running to Booth was a better choice now.

"What did you do the year we didn't speak?" she asked suddenly. "After the first case, but before you had me detained at the airport?"

"I know what time you are talking about," Booth said. He looked down at her, but she was looking out over the water. "Why that time? It wasn't very exciting."

What it had been was lonely. Lonely and hard, getting his life back under some sort of control when it had been so close to going the other direction.

She turned back toward him. "I would never ask about your military service. I know much of it is classified. I won't ask about the injuries to your feet, or anything else I've ever seen on your x-rays. Those stories are yours to share or not. I just thought that year was the safest to ask about."

Considering her explanation, Booth acknowledged that she was correct. "Well, I spent a lot of time trying to get you to return my calls," he said. His voice was teasing and he pretended to pout. "But eventually there was this case."

Continuing to maintain the slow pace, Booth spun the tale of a body found in the back of a vehicle that had come from Texas. Of struggling to identify the victim and being annoyed at how long the simplest tests seemed to take.

"It was a hard adjustment, working with my own lab after working with you," he said. The sound he made was humorless as he recalled the case. "I picked up the phone a couple of times, ready to beg you for help if that's what it took."

His head shake was slow. "But I wasn't ready to work with you again. I was angry and you made it pretty clear you had no intention of ever speaking to me again. I knew that after I finally gave up trying to get you to talk to me. I wasn't gambling anymore, but I wanted to be the best. Because I knew you'd only work with the best. If you ever gave me a chance again. And what would it say if I couldn't solve the first case that came along after you left?"

Ahead of them, Booth could see they wouldn't be able to go much farther without turning around. The beach area ended at a rocky cliff. Over the cliff, the sun was continuing its descent toward the sea.

Had it really only been twenty-four hours since he sat on that boat with her to watch the same sun disappear behind the sea? Booth would treasure that memory, and in a different way, this one as well.

"And then," he said, shaking their joined hands to get her attention, "I still had to have you detained to get you to speak to me. We are a stubborn pair, Bones."

Turning her face up to him, she looked at him curiously. "Are you going to finish the story? You did solve the case? Otherwise, we could look at it together when we get back."

Her offer to help had him smiling. He dropped her hand to throw an arm over her shoulders. "Well, first I accessed some of your scientific articles, trying to figure out what you did that the FBI lab didn't." His laugh was embarrassed. "That was a dead end because I didn't understand half of what you'd written. But, yes, I did solve the case. It just took a little longer than I thought it should."

"You read my articles?" she asked. Stopping, she slipped from beneath his arm to turn and face him.

Brushing his knuckles down her cheek, he shook his head. "Read is probably a generous definition of what I did with those articles. I probably made it through the first paragraph before I tossed them in the back of a file cabinet. Might still be back there."

When she tilted her head back to get a good look at him, Booth bent down and kissed her. "You better?" he asked when she pulled back.

In response, she stepped into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Then, shifting slightly, Brennan tucked her head beneath his chin. Bringing a hand around to the front, she took one of his in hers.

"Are we dancing, Bones?" he asked. He began to sway and she mimicked his movements. "There isn't any music."

With her body pressed close to his, Booth could feel the lack of tension in her limbs. It seemed the walk and time with him had been enough. It filled him with pride to know that he was the only one who could give her that kind of peace.

"Don't start singing," she warned.

Booth chuckled, pretending to sound offended. "There's no one around to hear us. I wouldn't scare anyone away."

"I wanted to dance with you on that first date we took. The one where we listened to jazz and you tried to persuade me to stay married to you." Her eyes drifted closed and she sighed at the memory. "I was so nervous that evening I could barely enjoy myself."

Resting his cheek against the top of her head, Booth smiled. "I had so many things planned to make you want me. To make you want to stay. And then it was a simple gift I'd given you months before that convinced you."

"I've always wanted you," she murmured. "It's just that the wanting of you has changed over time. Partners. Friends. Lovers."

There was more that had made her change her mind that night. A note written in desperation while she'd been buried alive with Hodgins. She'd yet to share it with him and wasn't sure she ever would. It had been a way to let him know what he'd meant to her if she never got to say the words.

They'd been married at that point, and never so far apart emotionally. Would he want those thoughts knowing how everything had turned out okay in the end?

Maybe. Especially considering the sentiments she expressed in those few words were part of the reason she hadn't signed the divorce papers that night.

Taking her shirt in his hand, Booth lifted it slightly. The move brought her attention back to the moment. "That dress left all this skin bare," he said, running his fingers down that same area. "All I wanted to do was touch it. Press my lips to it."

Brennan hummed as they swayed in tiny circles on the sand. "You've done that plenty. And I have to say, I greatly enjoy the feeling."

Booth pulled back. "Do you want to go dancing, Bones?"

Unwrapping herself from his arms, she tucked her hand back into his. "Yes, I want to go dancing. Privately. In our room. I believe it's time to go back."


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: Thanks for those of you taking the time to type a review. I appreciate them._

_A lot of romance and mushy stuff in the next few chapters. Enjoy._

OoOoOo

Cursing at himself for not turning around sooner, Booth shook his head. They walked back in the deepening darkness. The moon was covered by thin clouds and its weak light did little to illuminate their path.

Reaching out, he took her hand in his, knowing how she felt about the dark. She'd never actually mentioned it. But while he was checking locks and windows, if there was a light left on in the kitchen or the hall, he typically left it that way.

Maybe it was an accident. Maybe it wasn't. Bones had never made a comment though, even in jest, about harming the environment. Which made him think she did it on purpose.

He never made a comment about it either. But now he regretted not having a flashlight or something to light the area around them. If only to make her feel better as they walked back toward the hotel.

"You good?" he asked after they'd walked in silence for several minutes.

"I know that you know I don't like the dark," she said calmly. "Sometimes," she added after a moment. "Sometimes it doesn't bother me at all." When she fell silent again, Booth didn't respond, sensing that there might be something else she wanted to say. "There have been other times and other places, besides the trunk and the time I spent with Hodgins, that haunt me. When the memory of those times are just…" she trailed off, wondering why she'd said anything at all.

"Close," Booth finished for her. "When the memories are close and you just want the next day to come without nightmares." Sometimes, no matter how tired he was, there were nights he just didn't want to close his eyes.

He wondered, but wouldn't ask, what other horrors she'd been through. How many times had she been locked in dark places with no hope of escape?

"It used to be worse," she continued. It didn't surprise her Booth didn't press for more details. Maybe someday. But not tonight. "I spent a lot of time in the Lab after hours. Worked all night and the following day until I was so tired I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. It was the only way I could force myself to sleep."

"What changed?" he asked. He could have liked enough light to see her face, but sometimes it was easier for both of them to make confessions in the dark. She rarely spent late nights at the Lab anymore unless there was a case they were working on. Somehow, though they'd never discussed it, none of that work was ever brought home. They'd built a sanctuary and worked very hard to keep it that way.

Still, Booth would have expected her to seek the silence and the peace that the Lab often brought her. But she rarely did. He'd often wondered but had never had an opportunity where he felt comfortable asking for an explanation.

She laughed and there was disbelief in the sound. Like she couldn't believe he'd asked the question. "Do you just need to hear me say it? You, Booth. Even when the memories are so close I leave lights on in the house, I know when I go to sleep I won't be alone. That if I wake up in the middle of the night, I just have to roll over and I'll be in your arms. I can go to sleep knowing that no matter what happens, you'll make sure it's okay."

"Jesus, Bones," he finally said, changing his mind about walking with her in the dark. If she could see his face, he wasn't sure what emotion she'd read in it. Booth wasn't sure he could have named it himself. "I love you," was what he finally settled on before repeating it. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said easily. "So to answer your question from several minutes ago, yes, I am good. Why wouldn't I be? You're right next to me."

"Okay," he said. His chest tight with emotion, he took a cleansing breath.

Brennan shifted her fingers holding his hand so they interlocked more tightly with his. A clear declaration of what she was feeling was always a bit of a shock for him. "Have any idea on what we should do tomorrow?" she asked to break the silence.

"Yeah," he said his voice low, "can I plan the day?"

Looking ahead, Brennan could see the lights of the hotel drawing closer to them. Keeping her fingers wrapped around his, she almost wished they had farther to walk, even if it was in the dark. "The whole day?" She paused to consider. "You aren't going to try and make us stay in the room again?"

He chuckled. "That isn't a vacation for you. And as much as I'd like to spend all day keeping you naked," he joked, "it won't work. We're going to have an adventure."

The enthusiasm was clear in his voice. He sounded young and carefree, a clear shift from their conversation only moments before. "An adventure?" she echoed. Her own voice was dubious. "You're going to plan an adventure on an island we've never been to before. How do you do that without a computer?"

Refusing to let her dampen his plans, he used his free hand to retrieve his phone from his pocket. "I have a phone. And I am an investigator. My typing skills may be abysmal and I made need a calculator to do the math you can do in your head, but I do know how to research to find what I need."

"Why?" she asked. No comment on the typing or math skills was made and Booth knew it was because she agreed with his self-assessment.

"Why do I want to plan the whole day?" he clarified, making sure he understood the question. Now that they were closer to the hotel, he could see her nod. Stopping, he waited until she turned toward him. "I want to hear you laugh," he said, his voice intense with emotion. Already holding one of her hands, he reached out to take the other. "I want to watch your eyes light up when you see some piece of history that only you could care that much about." Shuffling his feet in the sand, he sighed. "I want to see those things and more and know I'm the one who gave them to you."

It was a silly, romantic gesture and he was almost embarrassed to say the words out loud. But when he recalled this trip, Booth wanted her laughter to be the first thing he remembered.

For reasons she couldn't explain, the simply expressed sentiment brought tears to her eyes. "I haven't laughed much lately," she said softly. "Fine," she agreed. Shaking her head, Brennan wondered what she'd just gotten herself into. "You can plan the whole day."

OooOooOoo

It started long before dawn. Booth was thankful they'd managed extra sleep the day before because there wasn't going to be time for naps today.

He'd spent most of the previous evening, after their walk on the beach, doing research and making quiet phone calls. When her second offer to translate for him was met with an annoyed stare, she gave up and went fo a swim on the terrace.

Naked, of course.

She was being deliberately distracting and both of them knew it. When their eyes met, Booth raised one eyebrow before rising and moving to a place in the room where he couldn't see her. His jeans were becoming uncomfortably tight and despite his desire to just strip and slide into the water with her, he knew he couldn't. There were things he needed to do first.

When her skin was wrinkly from being in the water, and Booth still hadn't returned, Brennan gave up and went to bed. If he was putting this much energy into the day she could only imagine what he was coming up with.

He crawled in next to her after she fell asleep. Before he closed his own eyes, Booth added one more item to his tentative plans for the day. She wasn't the only one who knew how to tease.

Warm lips pressed against her bare shoulder. Slowly, he inched his way across her skin toward her neck. When a sharp inhale let him know she was awake, Booth pulled the sheet away from her and started to work his way down her back.

"Booth?" Her voice still held a trace of sleepiness. Trying to roll toward him, Booth put a hand on her shoulder to stop the movement.

"Who else would it be?" he asked, lifting his lips from her skin. "You did everything in your power to distract me last night. Do you know how hard it is for me to think when all I see is you? All of this glorious skin on display, knowing I'm the only one that gets to touch it. It seems only fair that I pay you back for swimming naked in that pool without me."

The chuckle ended on a moan as he found a sensitive spot near her hip. "You could have joined me," she managed. His kisses were touching all sorts of interesting places, none of which were where she wanted his lips to be. She moaned his name this time, her voice taking on a pleading tone.

His warm breath drifted across her skin when he laughed. "Something wrong, Bones?" He pulled back allowing her to finally roll toward him. Her eyes, barely visible in the early light were full of what could only be described as hunger.

"I thought we had plans?" she asked, reaching toward him.

He took her hands and put them over her head. "Wait your turn," he said, softening the command with a sexy smile. "And we do," he replied, his lips now traveling down the side of her neck. "This is only the beginning."

OoOoOo

How he expected her to move after an experience like that she didn't know. But here she was, standing on the deck of another boat, watching the sun rise.

"Here," Booth said, handing her a cup of coffee. The steam rose into the cool morning air and Brennan took an appreciative sip. "It's a high speed ferry. It will only take a few hours."

He took a sip from his own drink and stared toward the rising sun. They'd seen it set plenty of times, but rising was a new experience. If he asked, Booth knew she would know all sorts of facts about the sun and why the sky changed colors the way it did. Was it any wonder he loved her?

"You still haven't told me where we are going," she pointed out. "Am I supposed to guess based on what direction the boat goes?" Moving, she tucked herself a little closer to him, trying to absorb the heat from his body. He was always so warm.

He shook his head and threw an arm around her to hug her to him, knowing she was chilled. "We're going to the mainland, Bones. First stop, Athens." Booth turned to lean his back against the rail and pulled her to stand in front of him. One arm wrapped around her to pull her close. "I know you're cold," he said, his mouth close to her. Brennan shivered, but it wasn't from the morning air blowing gently across her skin. Booth pressed a kiss to the skin below her ear before moving back. "Let's get inside before we move. It will only get colder out here."

Nodding in agreement, Brennan moved next to him and slipped her free hand into his. She'd been with him only hours before, but one kiss and she would have happily made love with him again. "Athens is a city filled with a large variety of ancient structures and interesting history."

Booth rolled his eyes. "And we aren't seeing all of it. So pick the one you want to see the most and I'll make sure you get there." Finding a bench for them to sit on, the couple sat hip to hip, leaving very little space between them.

Content, Brennan sipped at her coffee. The early morning ferry was almost empty. Of course, it was before sunrise. "We didn't have to leave so early," Brennan grumbled. "I'm sure there were ferries we could have taken later."

Knowing she wasn't a morning person, Booth chuckled. "Then we would have had less time to go exploring together. It will be a good day, Bones. I promise."

"You can't promise something like that, Booth. You have no way of knowing what today will be like."

Humming what Brennan assumed was a disagreement, he leaned back and made himself comfortable next to her. "Did you get Andy out of that situation you had him stuck in?" Booth asked. It was nice, to talk about things that had nothing to do with work. Or things that often made it hard for them to sleep at night. Booth had missed these quiet moments they had between all the chaos.

Handing him her coffee to throw away she turned sideways on the bench to better see his face. With one leg tucked beneath her she looked impossibly young and innocent. "You know I haven't had time to write on this trip. Or make many notes."

Booth snorted, knowing she wasn't complaining, just pointing out facts. "You are always writing in your head. You take things you see at work, or things that happen between us and turn those moments into ideas that you use in your books. Maybe," he said, his voice turning suggestive, "Kathy and Andy need a vacation. You know, in a hotel with a pool in the room."

"They are not in a position to take a vacation," she said primly. Then her eyes darkened and she bit her lip. Without conscious thought, Booth reached out and put a hand on her bent knee, recognizing she was suddenly nervous. "And while I get ideas from what we do, I don't put them into any of my books. What's ours is ours," she said simply.

"I know that, Bones." He patted his hand against her knee. "I wasn't implying otherwise."

"Oh." She nodded her understanding. "Then to answer your question, yes, I think I've figured out a way for Andy to escape. But, you'll have to wait to find out," she said coyly. "I think you'll like it. And the dedication."

Her eyes shifted to his and away again. She recognized immediately that she'd said too much. Her head was shaking before he even asked the question. "What does it say? And that wasn't necessary. You already dedicated one to me."

"I could change it," she offered and laughed when he glared at her. "I won't," she reassured him quickly. "And I like dedicating my books to you. Would you like to know?"

He pressed his lips together and gave it serious thought. Then shook his head. "I'll wait. I don't ever see your books before they're released. It might be bad luck for you to change that now."

Booth knew how she'd react to a statement like that. Biting the inside of his cheek, he fought the smile when she proved him correct.

"My success is not based on luck, Booth." She pushed his hand off her knee in feigned annoyance. "It's based on my superb writing and all the scientific knowledge I put in it."

The laugh erupted before he could stop it. "And not the romance," he teased. "Face it, Bones, people read those books for the romance."

Brennan rose from her seat. "I can't blame them, the romance is pretty nice." Booth, surprised at the agreement, was silent when she bent over him. "Even if what I write is nothing when compared to the real thing." Bending to press a kiss to his forehead, she straightened. "I'm going to watch out the windows for a few minutes."

He watched her before also rising to stand at her side. "Today will be perfect," he said again, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I have you. That's all I need."

OoOoOoOo

"I am not getting on that thing," Brennan said, planting her feet. "No. Absolutely not."

Booth ran a hand along the back of his neck. He feared this might be her reaction, but he had promised adventure. "I know how to drive it, Bones. I've done it before. There are helmets for both of us. We'll be fine."

Sure, it was a motorcycle. A bright red, take it racing, could probably kill them if he wasn't careful, motorcycle. But he wanted to give her an adventure. He knew if he could just get her to agree to get on the back of it, they'd have a memory they'd relive forever.

Plus, the idea of her pressed up against him on the back of that motorcycle was a fantasy he wanted to experience at least once.

He'd rented it for the day and it had taken some work, and some extra money, to have it waiting for them. With no backup plan, if he couldn't persuade her to get on the back, they were going to be walking.

"We won't be fine," she argued. Her voice was loud enough to attract the attention of several people nearby who were staring with open curiosity. "Do you know how many people are killed riding one of these each year? And the number of injuries associated with their use? Do you even know the rules of the road for Greece?"

Booth had to admit, even if it was only to himself, her reaction was a bit more than he expected. She'd been to war torn countries and been threatened by armed commandoes. But she wouldn't get on a motorcycle with him. Hesitation he'd expected. But not outright refusal. "Specifically, no. But this isn't my first time in a foreign country. Or yours," he reminded her. "You're a genius. Between the two of us, we can manage one day."

She crossed her arms and stared at him. "No," she said stubbornly. "More than 5,000 people die on one in the United States each year. I have no desire to add to that statistic."

"You won't," Booth couldn't stop himself from saying. "If you die here, you won't add to the statistics in the US."

He didn't think it was possible, but her eyes darkened even more. Self preservation took over when he took a small step back from her. That response should have been a little better thought out.

Sighing, Booth stepped toward her. Time to try a different tactic. "Listen," he said softly. He put both hands on her shoulders when she refused to uncross her arms. "You know I wouldn't let anything happen to you." He followed the declaration with a kiss to her forehead. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something did. I'll make sure we're safe. We'll stay off the main roads and explore the countryside instead. Less traffic, less risk of injury."

He could see the softening in her eyes as she looked up at him. "It's not safe," she reiterated, but there was less force behind the words this time.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

This time it was her turn to sigh. Brennan knew she was going to lose this argument based on that one simple question. "You know I do," she said, not sounding happy about it. "But that's not a fair way to win this fight."

"It's not a fight, it's a disagreement," he said. The smile he was trying to hide was starting to appear on his face. "Just give me an hour. If you are still worried about it, or we almost die, we'll figure something else out."

Throwing up her hands, she gave in. "Fine. Where is the helmet?" He handed it to her and bit down hard on the inside of his cheek when she glared at him. "You managed to rent one with a skull on it?" she asked.

"Guess we just got lucky," he said, pulling his own helmet over his head so she couldn't see his face. He'd specifically asked the owner if they had anything like that available. "Just put it on, Bones," he said when he noticed she still had it in her hands.

Booth, dressed in jeans and a dark jacket, got several appreciative looks when he straddled the bike. He looked confident enough that Brennan felt some of her nerves drain away and she awkwardly climbed on behind him.

"Hands around me," Booth ordered, reaching down to make sure she'd locked her fingers around him. "You been on a motorcycle before?" he asked.

"No," she said and pressed herself tighter against him. Booth swallowed the groan, wondering for a second if this wasn't a good idea after all.

"Good," he said sharply. When Brennan was about to ask what he meant, Booth silenced her by starting the engine. Closing her eyes, she hoped he wouldn't get them killed.

_A/N: I've only been on a motorcycle once many years ago. So if I mess something up here or in the future chapters, please forgive me. _


	15. Chapter 15

If Booth had been a betting man, and thanks to the woman sitting behind him he no longer was, he would have placed money on her not taking a deep breath for the first ten minutes. She was pressed so tightly to his back he could feel her taking shallow breaths and he worried that he'd made a mistake.

A motorcycle was something she'd never consider riding and he had a feeling this was going to be the only time she was ever on the back of one. So he tried to err on the side of caution, making careful turns and not doing anything that would cause her regret changing her mind.

He wished he was able to test all the machine could do, but gave an internal shrug. Maybe it was better this way. At least they'd both get home in one piece and not do anything to add to her statistics.

It wasn't until she'd tapped his left side and tentatively raised her hand to point, before firmly grabbing on to him again, that he realized she'd opened her eyes. He hadn't been able to see her face, but Booth was sure she'd kept them closed up until that moment.

After that, each time she tapped on his stomach, he turned the direction she indicated. With no idea where they were, or where they were going, Booth blindly trusted that she could not only speak Greek, but read it as well.

To anyone else, the turns would have seemed random. But Booth knew better and each change in direction led them further away from the center of the city.

With his hastily made promise to avoid populated areas, all of his research and plans were tossed aside. But an adventure wasn't always planned. So he tried not to worry about it. As long as they ended up back in Athens in time to take the last ferry back to their hotel, everything would turn out okay.

Not once during their entire trip to wherever she was taking them, did she pull away from him. At times, when there was more traffic or Booth went a little faster than she was comfortable with, Booth wondered if she was trying to crawl inside of him. Though he wanted to pat her hand and tell her they were fine, he kept both hands firmly in place so he wouldn't scare her anymore than she already was.

Despite her fear, she'd gotten on anyway. And she hadn't made any signal that she wanted them to stop and find something else to rent. The further they made it out of the city the less likely it became. Booth felt himself relax and started to enjoy what he was doing. He was on a motorcycle, Bones behind him, and they were driving winding roads in a foreign country. Did it get better than this?

Behind him, Brennan forced herself to keep her eyes open. It wasn't logical for them to remain closed the entire time and miss this opportunity. And having them open would better prepare her if something did happen.

She trusted Booth. That's what she kept telling herself. Of course, it wasn't Booth she was worried about, not really. It was everyone else on the road with them.

There was something very exciting about being pressed to him like she was, the wind blowing past them. The strength of the man she held tightly in her arms gave her other things to think about, helping to keep her anxiety at bay.

Less than an hour later, she tapped him one final time. Pulling into an empty parking lot, he looked around curiously before shutting off the motorcycle. Removing his helmet, he turned to look at her over his shoulder. "Here?" he asked.

When her body finally separated from his, he regretted stopping. Watching as she took off her own helmet and shook her hair around her head, Booth was instantly aroused. Breathing deeply, he turned away from her. "You have to get off, Bones, before I do."

"The motorcycle?" she asked innocently and laughed when she heard his sharp intake. With a pat on his shoulder, she moved carefully and was soon standing next to him. "I don't know how I feel about that," she said, handing him the helmet. "But I think I'll be okay for the day."

"Glad one of us will be," he grumbled, securing the helmets to the bike. Then turned and took her into his arms, kissing her hard. She was breathing as hard as he was when he decided it was time to stop. "Thanks for agreeing to ride with me. I didn't scare you too much, did I?"

She pressed her fingers to her lips. "Not terribly," she said. In fact, she kind of liked it, but didn't want to give him any ideas. If she admitted it aloud, he'd want to buy one when they went home.

"Maybe we can go faster this afternoon," he said, laughing when she narrowed her eyes at him. "Where did you bring us?" he asked. "There's nothing here." And no one around, he noted. Wherever they were, it seemed pretty isolated. "Looking for a different kind of outdoor adventure?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

And when she laughed, Booth froze. There is was, the laugh he didn't hear very often. It wasn't awkward or unsure. Just pure joy in the moment. He loved that sound.

He probably should have been offended, that she found the thought of them fooling around outside amusing. But Booth also knew that if he actually attempted it, he would decide it was a bad idea before she did.

"We have to follow the path," she pointed. "There's something on the other side that we can't see."

They were in the forest, mountains visible in the distance. And the path she'd indicated wasn't wide enough for two people to walk next to each other. "Are you sure?" he asked. The doubt was clear in his voice, even if he knew better.

Brennan rolled her eyes. "I'm sure. I'll even let you go first because I know that makes you feel better."

He gave a sharp nod, knowing it was a stupid question anyway. Several times he glanced back to make sure she was there, not that there was anyplace else for her to go. After the third turn to check on her, she stepped as far to the left as the path allowed and tucked her hand into the back pocket of his jeans. It made it slightly awkward to walk, but he no longer felt the need to turn and check on her.

It wasn't long before she heard his quietly muttered, "Holy shit," and knew he'd reached the end of the path. "What is this place?" he asked when she stepped up next to him.

"Tatoi Palace," she said, turning slowly to take in the view ahead. "There's a garage, winery, cemetery, stables. All sorts of interesting paths to explore. We could spend the entire day here and not find all the secrets of this place."

"It's creepy," Booth said. There was a feeling of abandonment that hung over the grounds. Afraid to look too closely in the shadows, unsure of what he might see, he turned to her.

For just a moment, the empty buildings brought back memories of other times and other places. But there was no sand here and no one waited inside for him and his fellow soldiers. The only dangers these buildings held were the ghosts that the living left behind. Bones was here and they were surrounded by trees and grass. He wouldn't let those memories ruin this.

The touch of her hand on his brought him back. "What's wrong, Booth?"

Shaking himself, he gave her what he hoped was a smile. "Fine," he said, then continued to explain when she kept staring at him. "Abandoned buildings aren't always my favorite thing."

The explanation would have been too simple for some. She knew enough of his history to understand immediately.

"Then we won't stay," Brennan said. She was already turning back toward the way they'd come before she finished the statement.

Booth was barely fast enough to reach out and stop her. "No," he said sharply, then repeated it, careful to make the refusal gentler the second time. "I am okay. I'd like to look around. It's okay to just explore the place?"

She nodded. "I read about it once. I've always wanted to come see it. And you did tell me to pick one place I really wanted to see. But," she continued, her eyes roaming over his face, "I'll only keep going if you promise to say something if you want to leave."

"Yeah, I'll say something," Booth said, running a hand along the back of his neck. The sun was out, but there was a foreboding about the place he just didn't care for. Still, he had no intention of keeping her from something she wanted to do because of things that had happened years ago. "I didn't think you'd bring us to a haunted castle," he said, a teasing edge to his voice.

The head tilt was so classically Bones that it chased away the heavier emotions he was feeling. "It isn't a castle and it isn't haunted. Just abandoned. And while it feels like we are alone, there are numerous hiking and biking trails in these hills. We aren't as alone as you think we are."

"Fine. Not haunted. Just weird. And you really only read about this place once. And knew how to get here?" Yes, her memory was good, better than good, but he found that hard to believe.

A guilty look passed through her eyes. "I knew it," he cried, pointing a finger at her. "How did you know this was here?"

"You weren't with me the entire time this morning after we got on the ferry. You did buy coffee and use the restroom. You aren't the only one who knows how to do research. And then when you offered to leave the city to ride the motorcycle, I took advantage of my knowledge." Her eyes met his. "Should I apologize?"

"Hell no," he said, grabbing her hand. Grass and trees and Bones next to him, Booth reminded himself. He'd be fine. "Let's explore."

It felt like they'd stepped into another time. Or they were the only people left on the planet exploring what was left behind. There were gates that led nowhere, the paths beyond them overgrown to the point they were impassable. The main buildings were locked against intruders, keeping them from entering to explore. Booth wiped the dirt from windows and peered inside to see the once beautiful rooms losing their battles against the elements.

In some windows curtains still hung. Boxes, open and abandoned, rested on floors that were beginning to cave in. Stepping down the wide stone steps at the front of the main house, he tucked his hands into his pockets and stared at the statue in front of him. A figure, he thought a male, sat astride a horse with a bird flying from a raised hand.

Brennan, he knew, would see things differently than he did, given her field of study. But he couldn't help but shake his head at the opulence this palace must have once represented and the strength of Mother Nature to reclaim the whole thing once more.

Everywhere they turned there was something else to see. A piece of the past that drew their attention. Neither spoke much, too busy dragging the other toward the next thing they wanted to see.

"It's sad," Booth said, walking next to Brennan down stone stairs. At the bottom an urn, also made of stone, was damp and empty. He ran his hand along the edge, picturing it with flowers tumbling down the sides. "All this just left to fall apart."

She hummed an agreement, pointing them in another direction. "There are abandoned sites all over the world, Booth. Societies rise and fall every day. Money comes and goes just as easily."

But looking around them, she couldn't help but agree. "There had been talk of turning this place into a museum once, but with the Greek economy being what it is," she shrugged pragmatically, "it probably won't happen. And the longer it takes, the more money it will require. It's a vicious cycle."

"Bones," he hissed when they came around the front of another building, "there are cars here. Expensive cars. Antique cars. Just being left to rot."

She smiled as he stared at the vehicles locked behind a gate. The dust had settled on the them in a thick layer, marred only by the bird and animals that had walked across their surface. "This almost bothers me more than the house," he said, staring at them forlornly.

"A lot of items have been removed. Paintings and bottles of wine. I guess they thought the cars weren't worth the effort." She patted his shoulder sympathetically, knowing how he felt about old cars.

"They were wrong," he declared firmly. Casting one glance back toward them, they rounded the building to see several other vehicles parked to the side. Doors open, the interiors were falling apart the same way the buildings were.

Brennan watched as he approached one and stuck his head inside. Carefully he sat behind the wheel, staring through a windshield that was more cracks than solid glass.

"Should I get in the other side and you can pretend to drive someplace like Parker does?" she offered.

"Maybe we could make out in the back seat instead," he countered, taking her hand when she offered it.

Together, they wandered, finding the gardens. Overgrown and wild, they were still beautiful and Booth led them to a stone bench that hadn't been buried beneath green.

"This day was supposed to be about you," he said when she settled next to him. With a hand around her waist, he pulled her close, their bodies pressed together from hip to ankle. "Despite how I felt when we got here, this is a cool place, Bones."

"I wanted to come," she said, patting his knee. "Don't think for a single moment I didn't."

They sat in silence broken only by the songs of birds. Booth listened hard, but couldn't hear any of the bike riders or hikers she'd mentioned earlier. They were as alone as two people could be.

"It's like the whole world has just stopped," Booth said. His voice was low, hesitant to break whatever bubble they'd found themselves in. "When we step out of here and go back to that motorcycle, it wouldn't surprise me if a hundred years had passed."

When she turned and pressed her lips to his, the kiss was gentle. There was something about the moment that wouldn't allow it to be anything else. And when his hands came up to cup her cheeks, his touch was as light as the kiss.

There was no battle to take control, no need for one of them to be in charge. They were both content to touch and savor, wanting to keep the moment exactly as it was.

"I wish I knew for sure we were alone," he whispered when they pulled apart. "That I knew for sure no one would find us. I'd show you, in this place where time has stopped, what you mean to me. It could use a little love to chase away the ghosts."

When he bent forward to kiss her again, to perhaps turn the moment into something else, a laugh rang out in the distance. And while he didn't stop his move, Booth did make sure to keep it short and under control.

"I love you," she said. "There's one more place here I'd like to see. Then let's get some lunch."

A quick stop at a map placed near the main house and Brennan led them to their destination. They'd ignored it at the beginning, choosing to simply get lost and explore. Now, with lunch approaching, Brennan used it to save them some time.

"Why am I not surprised it's the cemetery," Booth commented.

The tombs were stark white with crosses on top. An additional white cross was placed at the head of each tomb. Unlike the rest of the estate, this area felt less abandoned with fresh flowers adorning several of the graves.

"People live on when they aren't forgotten," Brennan said. "I don't believe in Heaven or Hell," she continued, walking among the tombs, "but reading the names, knowing the histories, keeps them alive in a way."

She searched for his gaze. "I don't like to talk to my mother's grave, because despite what you think, I don't believe she can hear what I say. I feel like I'm talking to myself."

It was a familiar argument and Booth couldn't help but smile. "I know, Bones, you remind me every time we go."

Brennan returned his smile before turning serious again. "It feels more real when I remember a happy story from my childhood and share it with you. More like she's still there. It's silly," she said, turning away from him.

"You hide too much of your heart from the world," he said. Booth slipped his hand into hers and motioned toward the tombs. "Tell me something about them," he said. "Give them a chance to live another day."

Even when she wasn't sure herself, Booth always managed to understand what she was trying to say. "This one was Prince George of Greece and Denmark. His wife is also buried here. Once, he traveled to Japan with his cousin Nicholas, the future Emperor of Russia. George is credited with saving his cousin's life on that trip."

"Was his cousin choking or something?" Booth asked. He vaguely gave thought to his wife's vast knowledge and whether or not he'd ever stop being amazed by it. Her eyes glowed with happiness at having an audience that was interested in her facts.

"No." Her brow furrowed. "Choking? The Heimlich maneuver wasn't even written about until 1974," she said, ignoring Booth's snort. "Someone attempted to assassinate Nicholas. The attacker hit him in the face with a saber."

"I know what a saber is," he said quickly, stopping the explanation he was sure she'd give. "And that doesn't sound like a stopped attack. Seems pretty successful to me."

"Yes, well, the first cut wasn't enough to cause death. When a second attempt was made, George stopped it with his cane. The first cut to Nicholas's head caused significant blood loss, but didn't kill him."

It seemed like an odd piece of information for her to include. "Head wounds bleed a lot, Bones. You know that. Hell, even I know that."

As Brennan continued her history lesson the two of them started to walk back toward the motorcycle. "Yes, but this fact is important. You see, Nicholas eventually became Nicholas the Second of Russia."

"Wait," Booth said, snapping his fingers. "Wasn't he executed along with his family." Catching the look on her face, he shook his head. "I paid attention in school, once in a while. But I always found that history kind of fascinating. All the rumors on whether or not some of the family escaped."

Okay, maybe he'd slept through some of his classes in high school. He was working and playing sports. And, yes, he'd copied someone else's homework. More than once. But he'd picked up a few facts here or there.

"You sound like Hodgins with his conspiracy theories," she teased. "But bones from the entire family have been discovered. It's why the head wound was important. They still had the shirt with blood on it when they needed to do DNA testing."

"Were you involved?" Booth found it hard to believe she wasn't.

But she shook her head. "DNA is not my specialty. But I have observed his skull. For a long time there was a belief that he was shot in the head. But there were no bullet holes in his skull when it was discovered. He was shot many times, but not there."

Stopping, Booth turned and looked back at the estate. "I don't think they'll save it," he said. He hadn't expected to be so drawn to the place when they'd first arrived. Now he was sad to realize it would all be gone. "Someday, maybe not when you and I are alive, this will all belong to the forest again."

"Maybe. But not everything disappears forever, Booth. Sometimes things are rediscovered. Someone will come along and discover the remnants of an old building or the frame of a car and they'll remember what used to be here. And for another day, this place will live on."

"That's awfully poetic coming from you." This time, Booth had her walk first down the path. "Would you like to get some lunch?" he asked when they arrived back at the motorcycle.

"I find I am quite hungry." She eyed their transportation then looked at him. "You really know how to drive one of these?"

It was an odd question. "I got us here in one piece didn't I? What's wrong?" he asked when she didn't pull her helmet on.

Her eyes traveled up and down him from his broad shoulders to his feet and back up again. Booth looked down at himself then at her. "Did I get dirt on my jeans?"

Booth watched her head shake slowly back and forth. "It's just…," she paused and swallowed hard looking from the motorcycle and back to him again. Booth, thinking she was about to refuse to get on again, forced himself to wait for her to speak her mind.

"Can you…just go fast?" she finally asked. The words came out so quickly, he had to work to understand them. "But not too fast. And only for a mile to two. Don't kill us or anything." Then she laughed nervously. "I hope you know I'm never riding one of these again. So I need the full experience and I trust-"

He silenced her nervous babbling with an enthusiastic kiss. The smile he wore when he pulled away from her made his eyes shine. "Put your helmet on, Bones. Let me show you what one of these things can do."

_A/N: They visited the Tatoi Royal Palace. If you are interested in abandoned places, there are a lot of interesting pictures out there. If I messed up any of Brennan's "history lesson" I apologize._


	16. Chapter 16

Exhilarating. That's what she finally decided on. Riding behind Booth on a motorcycle was exhilarating.

After a quick check on her phone and a conversation on how they wanted to spend the afternoon, Brennan had climbed behind Booth and wrapped her arms around him. Knowing the amount of trust she was putting in him, Booth patted her clenched hands and led them further away from Athens.

The bike drove just as Booth imagined it would. While he knew prudence was required, he still gave Bones a good idea of how much fun it could be to just not think about anything other than riding for a little while.

Burying the nerves about being on something that offered no protection against an accident, Brennan focused on the man she had wrapped her arms around. Every turn, every second, muscles were moving beneath his skin. She could feel them in every part of her and it created a sensation that she tried to memorize. To remember when the snow fell and they rode in his SUV.

Despite the helmet, he could hear her laugh as they rode around corners and turned up narrow roads. He was sure she'd tell him it was impossible, but Booth could feel her joy as well as hear it.

He wished every moment could be as good as this.

While it might be fun to own a motorcycle, Bones thought while they rode, there was no opportunity to drive it like this in the city. Too much traffic and not enough curves would prevent her from ever enjoying it as much as she was right now. At least, she consoled herself, she'd gotten to do it once.

This, unlike their vehicles at home, required all of his attention. He did nothing that truly caused her alarm but there were still moments her breath caught in her throat or she swallowed a gasp of surprise. She wasn't sure if this was what Booth had meant when he promised adventure. But if they did nothing else the rest of the day, other than ride around the countryside on the bike, Brennan would be okay with it.

"You're smiling, Bones," Booth said to her over lunch. They'd found an out of the way town not frequented by tourists. The locals were welcoming and enchanted with the woman who spoke their language so well. Standing back, Booth had tried not to laugh. He was always impressed by Bones, but it was fun watching others react the same way.

"Just thinking," she said, stabbing another bite of the salad with her fork.

Was now the time to tell him she was ready to go home and work with him again? That this break from their real life had been exactly what she needed. Brennan couldn't recall the last time she'd been this relaxed and it was thanks to the man sitting across from her.

It was important to tell him that, but the middle of a quiet restaurant didn't seem like the place. Serious conversations were best held when the two of them were alone. Somehow, they never seem to go quite the way she expected them to.

He raised an eyebrow and said nothing, waiting to see if she would explain. The look on her face finally made him laugh. She knew what he wanted and was doing her best to ignore him.

Leaning toward him, she lowered her voice. "Just thinking about how you felt as you drove that motorcycle. The movements of your muscles were very interesting to me."

It wasn't exactly what she wanted to say. Neither was it a lie. She couldn't wait until they arrived back at the hotel later in the evening. To strip his clothes off and run her hands down the bare skin covering those muscles. She had a feeling it would be late before she fell asleep. Very, very late.

His brown eyes held her gaze. Making no move to hide the desire in his eyes, Booth flashed his charm smile when her eyes reflected his emotions. "How do you think I felt with you pressed against me like we were one person instead of two?"

Her laugh was low and danced along his skin. "Just stop," he said, leaning back to finish his meal. "It's hard enough to focus on driving with you behind me. Too many images in my head and I won't get us back to Athens in one piece."

Eyes dancing with amusement, she nodded and also continued to eat. The silence was comfortable, most of their conversation taking place in shared glances and smiles that conveyed everything they were thinking.

There was something she wanted to tell him. Booth could see it in her body language and the way she studied him from across the table. Several times she opened her mouth to start before closing it again. Normally, Booth would have pushed her, but this time he let it go.

"When you're ready," he said to her at one point, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand. "Whatever it is, I'm here when you're ready."

"It's not bad," she said quickly. "Just tangled with other things I want to tell you."

He shrugged, not letting go of her hand. "Let me know if you need help untangling it."

"I'm going to step outside for a second," Brennan said, releasing his hand as paid for the meal. He looked at her before nodding that he'd heard.

Her knuckles brushed his cheek as she walked past. Booth's eyes remained on her retreating figure until the door closed behind her. He shook his head, recognizing she'd wanted a minute alone, understanding that she was working on it.

Taking his time, Booth signed and slowly made his way out of the restaurant. He spotted her easily, standing across the narrow lane staring off at the mountains in the distance.

What was it about this place that made him want to stride across the street and sweep her up in his arms? Kiss her until they could barely catch their breaths and know he was the only one who could do that to her. It was a heady feeling and he loved it.

"Bones?" he asked, raising his voice slightly so she could hear him. She waved a hand at him, but didn't turn.

Shrugging, he crossed the street to stand at her side. She continued to stare off into the distance. Booth felt very far away from all of it. From the lives they lived back at home and the hotel they'd only left that morning.

The feelings from the abandoned palace this morning hadn't totally left him. He still felt trapped in that bubble separated from time and the rest of the world.

Booth gave brief thought to the gods that had ruled in the legends he'd read. Was this how they felt, looking down at what they supposedly created? To see it all yet be a part of none of it. Watching time pass for the mortals below, knowing as gods they would live forever.

"Have I ever thanked you?" she asked when he stopped next to her. She didn't turn her head toward him, continuing to stare straight ahead.

"You've thanked me plenty." Reaching out, he brushed a hand down her hair then wrapped it around her waist pulling her to him. She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. "But I think you might be talking about something specific here."

Her hummed agreement was barely audible. "When we got married, when you decided what you wanted, you were patient and you never gave up."

"What I wanted, was you. You were worth whatever it took." Keeping his hand around her, he stared in the direction she faced. She was working her way to something and Booth didn't want to push. So he copied her stance and waited for her to find her way.

"You're there even before I know I need you sometimes. And not just with lunch," she said, but didn't smile. "When Angela or someone else tries to help me when I'm upset, it always feels awkward. And I know part of that is my fault."

"Bones, stop," he tried to interrupt, but she shook her head.

"It is," she argued and while her voice remained level, Booth could hear the emotion in it. Then, she sighed. "Except with you. You hug me or touch my hand and it never feels weird and I never have to think about how I should react or where to put my hands. It just always makes sense with you."

"Okay," he said, still not quite sure what she was leading up to. "But you know you should never worry about things like that. Unless you try to put your hands in inappropriate places while we are working," he teased.

Her laugh was soft. "Maybe one of these days, I'll get those shades for my office."

"Come here," he said, changing their position slightly. Tucking her against him, so her head came to rest beneath his chin, Booth wrapped his arms around her. He wasn't sure why she was suddenly so sentimental, a word he had never used to describe her before. "The idea that you have to thank me for that, thank me for loving you, is silly. And not like you. I love you because you're Bones. My Bones. I do those things because I can't do anything else. And I don't want to."

He pulled her back to better see her eyes. "What are you trying to say to me? You didn't start down this path without having a destination in mind."

Her hand reached out to grip the back of his neck and pull his forehead down until it bumped hers. "You followed me half way across the world when I told you I needed a break. You didn't panic when I told you I wasn't sure I could do my job anymore. You accepted it then trusted me, despite all of it, to help you when you needed it."

This time, Brennan was the one to move back so she could see his face. "I want to thank you for that," she explained, putting a finger over his lips when he tried to interrupt, "because it worked. Everything that you did for me, that we did for each other, that we do for each other, worked for me. It works for me every day."

Booth was forced to shake his head. "I need a bit more here, Bones. What worked?"

"I'm ready, Booth. Ready to go home and slide into bed next to you. Wake up when you start the coffee and go to work. With you. As partners," she said, wanting him to understand. "And as your wife, of course. But I thought that went without saying."

The first kiss he pressed to her lips was gentle. His mind was working as fast as hers, trying to understand why he wasn't ecstatic at her announcement. "Are you tired of vacationing, Bones?" he asked when they separated. He was stalling but she hadn't realized it yet.

This was what he wanted. Had worked toward this entire trip. Now that he had it in front of him, his heart was pounding. And not from excitement. He needed her to stop talking, just for a second, so he could figure out what was going on.

"I find I am homesick," she admitted with a laugh. "I've been on digs all over the world, sometimes for months at a time. Slept in tents that leaked. I've been on vacations with pools in my hotel room." She expected him to laugh but Brennan was quickly realizing something wasn't quite right. Still, she continued on. But her eyes were locked on Booth, trying to read his emotions. "But until now, I'd never been away from the house I've shared with you, the everyday life I share with you for this long. And I realize that I miss it."

"We needed this," he reminded her. "Both of us needed to remember we have lives outside of our jobs. Are you sure you want to give up all this," he asked motioning to the world around them, "to go back to the city and solve crimes?"

He didn't want to see the haunted look in her eyes she'd had before leaving the city. Booth wanted to protect her, to keep her from ever feeling like that again. Was that what it was? The realization that he couldn't protect her from that when their vacation was over?

Her eyes darkened with concern and she stepped back from his arms. "I do," she said. Her arms crossed over her chest. "I am. But right now, I"m not sure you feel the same way."

She'd been so sure of how she felt, what she felt while she ate, that it had never occurred to her that Booth might not feel the same.

Her inhaled breath was loud in the silence that had fallen between them. This wasn't just about her, but him as well. If his feelings had changed about what they did for a living, she'd deal with it rationally.

Even if her lunch was no longer sitting easily in her stomach.

"Bones," he said, reaching toward her. And while she didn't step back from his touch, she didn't open her arms to him either. "That isn't what I'm saying. I just don't want to cut this short. I want this time with you. We only have a few more days before we go home again. That's all. I like being here with you." His voice was pleading, desperate for her to understand what he wasn't sure he understood himself.

"More than you like being home with me?" she asked. Not sure why she was upset, her eyes continued to move across his face, trying to read his emotions. He hadn't said that he didn't want to work with her, just that he wasn't ready to go home. When had their positions reversed? She was the one who'd expressed that sentiment, and now that she was ready, he wasn't.

At no point, had he said anything about it. In fact, he'd often indicated otherwise. Now, after one trip to the heart of Greece on a motorcycle everything had changed?

"We could be in a box and I would want to be with you," he said sharply. "Don't you ever think I want to be anywhere but at your side." Her eyes were guarded and Booth knew he'd confused her. But he wasn't ready. Wasn't ready to share her with the outside world again. Wasn't ready for real life to intrude on their time.

"I don't understand, Booth," she said. "I don't understand what's going on right now. I thought you'd be happy that I wanted to work with you again. When we left, I said that I wasn't sure I could. I've hinted that I'd probably be ready when we went back, but haven't said so specifically. You indicated that you hoped I would want to go home and be your partner. You said as much on this trip." Her voice had lost most of its emotion, reverting to the one she used when trying to hide her feelings from him. "I just wanted you to know for sure that was how I felt."

Booth sighed, running a hand along the back of his neck. She remained standing with her arms crossed, staring at him. Waiting for him to explain what was going on in his own head so she could understand it.

"I just want time to stop," he said, swallowing a smile when her brow furrowed. "I know that it's impossible," he said to stop the lecture, "but that's what I want. This moment. These moments. I don't want to think about next week or even tomorrow. I just want right now."

The breath of air she blew out from between her lips indicated her frustration with his explanation. "Why?" was all she could think to ask. "You've got right now, Booth. I'm right here, with you."

"I don't want to think about what brought us here," he said. Reaching out, he took the loose strands of hair blowing around her face and tucked them behind her ear. "How heart broken you were. The anger I couldn't even admit to. We talked about it, worked through it, so it's not consuming us anymore. You don't totally get over it, but we dealt with it and have moved past it. When we go home, it could happen again."

He waited for some sort of indication that she understood what he was trying to say. Finally she nodded. "But time stopping means we don't get to the future," she pointed out. "Isn't that what we are talking about right now? Our future together? It feels like you are trying to avoid it."

"The future will bring all that back, Bones. Or new emotions to work through, tough cases that keep us up at night." Unable to stand still any longer, he started to pace back and forth in front of her. "For these moments, this day, the rest of this trip, our past isn't haunting us and the future hasn't happened yet. I'm not ready to give that up. I wasn't ready to think about going back to that."

"You can't protect me from life, Booth," she said softly. "And I don't want you to." He stopped and turned his dark eyes to her. Her gaze met his easily. She'd gotten it right, again, figured out what he was thinking, and that fact gave her the courage to keep trying to understand the rest. To help him work through whatever this was.

"Are you trying to logic me, Bones? Remind me that you don't need protecting?" As if he didn't know that. But for a just moment, when she'd said that she wanted to go home, all he could think about was the emotions they'd left behind them. And he was terrified to think they could get to that point again.

"I don't," she said. "Even if you feel better when you think that you can protect me from life. Avoiding our jobs at home won't stop that from happening. And avoiding things isn't who you are. It's not who we are."

"We got lost, Bones," he said, waiting for her to take the comment literally. She tilted her head at him but didn't interrupt, leaving him to wonder how often she understood all the colloquialisms she pretended not to get. "I don't want us to get lost in cases and work again."

"Oh, Booth, I was never lost. Tired, sad, but never lost. You always bring me home. No matter what happens, you'll always be what brings me home. Listen," she said, her voice turning brisk, "if you don't want to work with me or in the field anymore, it's fine. I can go back to working with ancient remains. I just want you to be happy. If not burying yourself in cases is what will make that happen, then that's what we'll do."

His dark eyes met hers. There was no regret in her voice, no judgement at that decision. "You'd give that up for me? All of it? Working cases and solving crimes? Go back to working at the Jeffersonian, in your office?"

Life changed. It was inevitable. She knew that better than anyone. If this was the next change in her life, she would accept it and adapt. As long as he was at her side, it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

Her eyes remained locked on his. And though he wanted to turn away from that intense stare, he couldn't. She held him with just the power of that look. "You'd do the same for me. You and me. Partners. Together or not at all. Whatever we choose, we do it together."

Closing his eyes, he pictured it. Just one day, one week, one month of not working at her side. Not solving cases together. Not having an excuse to call her or take her to interviews and then to lunch. And knew he wouldn't last through the first afternoon.

"I'm being ridiculous," he mumbled, beginning to pace again. "You're right. This is ridiculous." His head shook back and forth as he walked. Finally, he stopped and held out his hand.

She looked at his face and his hand, before putting hers in it. "You aren't ridiculous," she said, allowing him to tug her toward him.

"Can you start from the beginning?" he asked sheepishly. "Can you say it again?"

"I said a lot of things, Booth," she pointed out. When he narrowed his eyes at her, she laughed. "I want to go home and be your partner, Booth. I don't want to leave my job. I want to work with you. But," she clarified, "only if you want to. And you have to be honest about it."

This time, he shoved his hands into her hair and kissed enthusiastically. It might not be possible to put hope and love and acceptance into the act, but he certainly tried. "I want now and tomorrow and forever," he said softly, his lips so close they brushed hers as he spoke. "I want the memories we've made and the ones we are going to make. I was scared for a few minutes there and I'm sorry. We know what we need to do so what brought us to Greece won't happen again. I wouldn't last a week if I couldn't work with you."

"If that's what you want," she said, kissing him again. "You good?" Her eyes were on his again, trying to decide if he was hiding his true feelings from her.

"Yeah," he stepped back, pinched the bridge of his nose. All she saw in his face was honesty. "I don't know what happened there. Everything is just so perfect. Perfect moments, perfect days. But if we hadn't had the bad, I wouldn't appreciate it as much, right? When it's time to go, I'll be ready. And we'll be partners, in all the ways we want to be."

Brown eyes met blue. "I love you, Bones. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I just want to make sure we're always solid."

"I love you too, Booth. We're solid, even when it doesn't feel that way. Let's head back toward Athens. We still have the afternoon and early evening. Let's squeeze every moment we have out of the rest of this trip."

_A/N: Teaching started for me today and there might be a bit of a delay before the next chapter while I adjust. I've left them in a good place for you..._


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: Busy start to work, so you get a light, fluffy, non stressful chapter. Thanks for those continuing to read and comment._

"Excuse me, is that Temperance Brennan?"

The quiet voice came from his left and Booth took a deep breath. There was always a split second, when someone approached him sight unseen, that he had to fight the instinct to turn and protect himself. His muscles tensed and Booth regretted that he didn't carry his weapon.

That the person was asking for Bones made his desire to protect that much stronger. And even without a weapon, Booth knew he could be lethal if it was required.

Thousands of miles from home, Booth never imagined someone would recognize them here. But it seemed no matter where they went, there were some things that couldn't be escaped.

His eyes were flat and cold. Booth didn't need to see them in a mirror to know what was on his face. Slowly, he turned, looking for the source of the voice, only to have to shirt his eyes down. Very far down. Blinking, he changed the threatening look to polite interest.

The owner of the voice couldn't have been more than five feet tall. Her gray hair was cut in a short bob around her face, making her look younger than she probably was. Booth put her age within a few years of seventy.

In her hands was a copy of Temperance Brennan's latest book. The one that had hit the New York Time's best seller list the first week it was released and was still there. The book that had taken her from author to best selling, world famous author.

Which was how she was recognized so far from home. At least the version held in the woman's hands was in English. Booth had lost track of the foreign languages his wife's books were now being translated into.

But he collected every single version, even if he couldn't read them. They were on a bookcase in the basement he reserved just for them. The collection was now growing so large, Booth was going to be forced to add on to the shelving to make room.

The expression on her face, as she tipped her head to look up at Booth was polite and hopeful. Her eyes drifted to where Bones stood and back to him again.

"It looks like her," she said, flipping the book over so the photo on the back was visible. "But I didn't expect to see her in Europe. I never expected to see her anywhere ever."

After his slight meltdown following lunch, Booth brought the two of them safely back to Athens. He'd parked the motorcycle in a convenient location and together they'd explored some of the ancient ruins found in the city. While interesting, it didn't hold his interest the way it did Brennan's.

But that mattered little. The way her eyes lit up every time she spied something that she'd never seen in person before made it worth it.

As had the feel of her hand in his when they'd strolled the streets as nothing more than tourists. Anonymous until this tiny woman had spotted them.

Bones had wandered slightly ahead of him, window shopping for souvenirs to take back with her. Even if she found nothing for herself, there was no way she'd go home without something for Parker.

His eyes softened further at the thought of her shopping for their boy. No matter what she chose, Parker would love it because it came from her.

"My name is Sharon. I didn't mean to interrupt your vacation," the woman said, her voice more hesitant now. "I just thought…," her voice trailed off. She had wanted to be rude, but the imposing man had yet to say a word and Sharon was sure some sort of invisible line had been crossed.

She'd spotted Brennan first and had watched her for several minutes, trying to decide if she was correct. It wasn't until she'd spotted the tall handsome man watching her that Sharon had decided it was definitely her.

It had been a strange feeling, a woman her age, following someone she considered a celebrity down the street. But it had been a once in a lifetime chance. So she took it.

The book had been in her bag, a diversion when she'd eaten lunch alone or was tired and wanted to rest for a few minutes. She'd come with a tour group, but had mostly explored alone. Others on the trip had come with partners or friends. Her only companion had been herself.

Sharon would admit she knew very little about her favorite author's husband. She was long past the age where she was interested in stalking people to learn about their private lives. But she'd seen several pictures of the couple together here and there and was able to recognize the two of them.

"You can ask her," Booth said, giving her a muted version of his charm smile. His arms were crossed across his chest and he lowered them, trying to be more friendly. After all they'd dealt with on this trip, a five minute interruption from a fan was nothing to be upset about. "She won't mind." And neither did he. Bones could protect herself from gang members. This tiny woman posed no threat.

"Oh, no," she said, holding the book out, a pen in her other hand. "I was hoping you would sign it."

Booth, shocked at the request, actually took a step back. "I didn't write it."

Brennan, whose attention had been on a window display, turned in time to see Booth move away from the woman. Concerned, she immediately started back toward him. Not that she could discern a threat. Booth had taken down men significantly larger than the woman standing in front of him. Yet, even from that distance, Brennan could see the hint of panic on his face.

"Why would you want me to sign it?" she heard him ask as she approached. "Dr. Brennan is right here," reverting to how he introduced her during cases. His voice was a little desperate as she appeared next to him. "You know, the author of the book. I'm sure she'll sign it."

Brennan looked from her husband to the woman holding the book and back again. "Dr. Brennan?" she asked, tilting her head curiously. Booth was definitely flustered and Brennan fought a laugh. He hated being asked to sign the books. She gave her husband a reassuring pat on his arm. "I'd be happy to sign your book," Brennan said, turning her attention to the diminutive woman in front of them.

"Could you talk your husband into signing it too?" she asked, allowing Brennan to take it from her hands. "I would love to have both your signatures."

"May I ask why?" Brennan asked. She'd opened the front cover and signed her name quickly. "Would you like me to address it to anyone?"

"Sharon for me. And Edward," she added. Her voice was slightly more subdued when she said the second name and Booth saw a little of the excitement fade from her eyes.

Booth studied her. "Is Edward here with you?" he asked. Brennan would have chastised him for going with his gut, but Booth was sure of the answer before she gave it.

"No," Sharon sighed. She watched Brennan sign the book. "He couldn't join me. But he liked to read your books too. We'd buy two copies and read it at the same time so we could talk about our theories and who we thought the killer was. Andy was his favorite," she said, looking at Booth again. "That's why I asked for your signature. But you don't have to," she said quickly.

No matter how she denied it, everyone believed Booth was Agent Andy come to life. It was so bad, there were times Booth wanted to hide. Women looked at him like they knew him, just because they assumed what Brennan wrote was an accurate representation of who he really was.

Bones was the only one who would ever know the complete truth of him. She was the only one who knew his past, understood what he fought with every damn day, and had never turned away from him.

No one else had ever come close. And Booth was sure none ever would.

He didn't sign books when people asked. And as her books had become more popular, Booth made sure it was harder for them to ask. This hadn't happened in almost a year.

But there was something about this woman and the way she answered questions that made him want to make an exception to his own rule.

"I'll sign it," Booth said shortly, much to Brennan's surprise. Before she could ask, he took the book from her hands and added his signature beneath hers. Closing the cover, he handed it back to Sharon. "I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip."

"Thank you," she said, hugging the book to her chest. A smile graced her lips. "I'll be sure to share this with Edward the next time I visit him."

Brennan looked between the two of them curiously as the older woman turned and walked away. Booth met her eyes and lifted the corner of his mouth in a small smile. "You want to know why I signed it," he said.

"You never sign any of my books. People have asked and you refuse every time. You panic exactly like you did right now and then you cross your arms over your chest and say no. Nothing else. You don't elaborate or explain. You have a reputation at my book signings. People don't even ask anymore."

His eyes brightened. "I have a reputation?" he asked. So that's why they'd stopped asking. Taking her hand, he led them back toward the window she'd been looking in. "How do you know that?"

She bumped his shoulder. "You shouldn't sound so happy about it. But my publisher told me. So why did you sign it?"

Knowing she wouldn't let it go, Booth thought about how to answer the question she'd never bluntly asked him. Why he'd always refused to write his name next to hers.

"I don't write your books, Bones. I won't sign them like I have anything to do with it. I may be Agent Andy's inspiration, but I'm not Agent Andy. And I don't put those thoughts and actions into words people want to read. You do," he explained, his pride for her clear, "and I won't take credit for that."

"Okay," she said, not allowing herself to get drawn into the never ending argument about Agent Andy. "That still doesn't explain why you signed that book."

Booth sighed and squeezed her hand. "Her husband was dead, Bones. She missed him and the things they used to do together." He shrugged, slightly embarrassed. "I felt a little bad for her."

Brennan pulled him away from where everyone was walking then stopped. The sidewalk was busy with tourists and she didn't want the two of them to be in the way. "How do you know that? She never said it."

"I'm an investigator, remember?" he teased, tapping the side of his head. "I put all the clues together. Apparently you missed them."

"Booth, you are an amazing investigator." She put a hand on his arm. "But could you explain to me what you heard that I didn't."

Bones didn't hand out compliments lightly. To be referred to as amazing was a high honor. It was hard to tease her after something like that. "Her eyes weren't as happy when she said his name. Everything was past tense, they bought two books, talked about the cases. Agent Andy was his favorite. And she was going to visit him. Not see him."

Lips pressed together, Brennan thought about it. "He couldn't be sick?" she suggested. Her eyes drifted over his shoulder to where the woman had disappeared into the crowd.

"I suppose," Booth said. "But I think she would have talked about how he'd react when she shared it with him. Nothing indicated that. That's why I signed it. I thought about what it might be like to not have you anymore. And it made me sad."

"So you signed her book," Brennan finished for him.

"It will make her happy when she looks at it. Remind her of him." He refused to meet her eyes, instead staring into the window of a shop he'd stopped in front of, seeing nothing. "I know it's probably not rational," he said, using her own words. "And I won't do it again."

"That book will probably be worth millions," she teased, recognizing that he was slightly embarrassed by what he'd done. "The only signed novel that will ever exist with both our signatures on it. What do you think Parker might like?" she asked, letting the subject go.

Booth chuckled. "You could bring him back a shirt with the Eiffel Tower on it and he'd be happy."

Her eyes narrowed. "We aren't in France, Booth. I can't bring him back something from a place we won't visit."

"Of course not," he said. Biting the inside of his cheek he kept a serious expression on his face. "We should definitely get him something from a place we visit."

"Good. I'm glad you agree." The look made it clear she understood his joking. "I think this looks like a good place," she said, grabbing his hand and forcing him to follow.

"No, Bones, I'm not shopping," he tried to argue. But her hand refused to release his and he finally gave up. Following her into the store, he sighed as she moved from one display to the next.

"Backgammon," she announced triumphantly. Booth blinked, barely hiding the fact he hadn't been paying attention for at least ten minutes. His eyes sought out hers and the box she held in her hand.

"The game?" he said, smiling at her eye roll. "Parker likes games. But he doesn't know how to play that one."

"I do," she said. "This board and pieces are made with materials that are native to Greece. It's a great souvenir. Fun and practical."

"Because every kid wants practical," Booth said with a laugh. But he held out his hand and took the game from her. "Don't you see something you want?"

"I'd like a pair of the sandals." Her eyes motioned toward the display and back to him again. "But I need to try them on. Go find something for yourself," she encouraged. "Maybe a t-shirt."

"Or three since you'll steal them." But he would deny her nothing, even if it meant he was always looking for his favorite clothes in her drawer. "I'll go look."

Booth knew where she was the entire time he wandered around the store. She never left his line of sight. It wasn't that he was worried about her, just that he liked to know where she was. Who was around her. Angela had been right several years ago when she'd noticed Booth never let Bones out of his sight.

They met in the middle of the store a short time later. Brennan had not one, but three pair of sandals in her hands and Booth carried the game for Parker and several shirts. Their eyes met and both of them smiled.

"Let me pay for this stuff, Bones and then we need to return the motorcycle and get on the ferry. Otherwise we're going to be looking for a place to sleep tonight."

"I picked up a bag I can wear while you drive. We should be able to get everything in it." She tried to twist her arms to show it to him, but finally gave up when the shoes almost fell to the floor.

"I get it, Bones, you don't need to let me see it."

"I'll pay for my own stuff," she argued, following him to the register.

"You'll pay for none of it," he argued back, taking the stuff from her arms. "I'm doing this, Bones. Please don't fight me on it."

"Booth," she hissed, taking some of it back from him. "We'll split it."

His eyes darkened as did hers. Looking briefly around them, Booth noted they hadn't drawn attention yet, but if this continued, they soon would. Their bickering, and the lack of true anger behind it, was something they understood. What it looked like to the outside world, Booth was never quite sure.

"You rented the motorcycle," she pointed out, not wanting him to be angry with her. "And paid for lunch. I'd feel better if you let me pay for some of this. Besides, one pair of shoes is for Angela. I don't think you should pay for that."

She watched the tension leave his face before he nodded. Brennan quickly split the items, making the amount they'd spend almost equal. As they left the store with everything tucked into the bag she'd purchased, Brennan tucked her arm under his. "I had so much fun today," she said to him as they weaved their way through the crowd. "I had no idea riding the motorcycle would be so much fun. But it's time to go back to our hotel, right?"

One corner of his mouth lifted. "Are you in a hurry to get me alone, Bones?" he teased.

Her eyes that only moments ago were dark with anger, were now dark with something else. Booth blew out a breath and started naming saints in his head. He'd been feeling the same since before lunch but had managed, for the most part, to keep those thoughts shoved in the back of his mind.

Now, one look from her, and he was going to lose his mind.

"We have to return the bike," he reminded her. "Then we have to ride several hours on the ferry. It's going to be a long time before any of those thoughts in your eyes can become reality. So keep them to yourself."

Biting back the groan when she licked her lips, Booth tilted his head toward her when she stepped on her tiptoes to get closer to him. Her lips were very close to his ear when she started whispering to him.

His hand was on her arm, whether to help her balance or push her away, neither was sure. But her words painted a picture he wouldn't be able to ignore while they made the trip back to their room. The grip tightened until Booth was sure he'd leave bruises. But the thoughts she was putting in his brain were going to be impossible to not think about.

"You are playing with fire," he said, when she stepped back. He dropped her arm and took another step away from her. A wicked smile was on her face as she looked at him. "Reverse that picture, Bones, and think about what I'll look like as you do all those things to me." Taking her hand in his, Booth began to lead them back to their transportation.

It was seconds later when he felt her shudder. Squeezing her hand, he gave a low chuckle. "Two can play at that game. Let's get going. The rest of this day is going to be spent on a different kind of adventure."

OoOoOo

Brennan closed the door to their room and tried to turn. But Booth was behind her, the length of his body pressing her into the door. His arousal was obvious and he pushed his hips harder against her.

The move was dominating and she dropped the bag she carried. It freed her hands and Booth grabbed them to hold them beneath his against the door.

A warm kiss was placed at the back of her neck and she moaned at the sensation. The trip on the ferry had been too long with nothing to think about but this moment. It was a miracle they'd made it back to the room with their clothes on.

"There's the pool," he said, lips close to her ear. "Or the giant king sized bed." Releasing her hands, he ran his down her sides, tugging the shirt she wore free. His hands disappeared under the shirt.

"Or," he offered, changing tactics. Gentle pressure on her hips had her turning to face him. "We could do it right here."

"So many options," she said, tilting her head to give him better access to her neck. Facing him gave her the chance to pull up his shirt and run her hands along the bare skin of his abdomen. "While right here sounds amazing," she said, losing her breath momentarily when his hands made their way further under her shirt, "I think we should start with the pool."

"Start?" he asked, pulling his lips from her skin.

Brennan put a hand on his neck to pull him back toward her. "Then move to the bed."

"I like the way you think, Bones. To the pool it is."


	18. Chapter 18

She awoke with a start, the tendrils of the dream fading as consciousness took over. Naked from their earlier activities, she rolled toward Booth, seeking the warmth and safety of his arms.

It wasn't lost on her that she rolled toward him and not away. It was only weeks ago that she would have turned to the other side of the bed and tried to fall back asleep without waking him. Not wanting to disturb what rest he was getting when they were both working so hard.

He'd known. Even as she rolled away from him, she'd chastised herself for doing it, knowing that he was awake and waiting for her to seek him out. It had seemed like a noble sacrifice at the time, allowing him peace when her nights were filled with torment.

Except he'd been awake and waiting for her. So the peace she'd thought to bring him had been no more substantial than the nightmares that had haunted her.

Brennan understood that she'd only made it harder for both of them, not easier.

A foolish, irrational decision she acknowledged. Her strength came not only from within but from him as well. And as hard as it was to rely on another person for anything, Brennan also knew she was stronger when he was standing in her corner. In order to be her best, sometimes she had to let someone help her when she wasn't at that point. Doing so didn't make her weaker.

His arms came around her and he hauled her into his chest. She wiggled herself into a comfortable position, her sigh of contentment drifting across his skin. Considering he was naked as well, Brennan knew this would probably lead to other things, but for the moment, there was nothing but comfort in his embrace.

"You good?" he asked, voice rough from sleep. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head but didn't open his eyes. He'd felt her wake and had waited to see what she would do. There was relief in knowing that she chose him. That she hadn't turned away as she'd done so often in the past.

Her kiss landed somewhere on his chest. "I'm fine," she said.

"I hate that word," he grumbled, finally forcing his eyes open. "No one who says that word is ever fine."

Booth realized his view of her was the same whether his eyes were open or closed. The room was not bathed in moonlight but rather in darkness. His fingers traced the length of her back, sliding across the smooth skin that covered the bumps of her spine. "You need to share?"

Sometimes, Booth knew, she didn't want to, but needed to in order to put what she'd seen behind her. Those were the hardest dreams; the ones that you desperately wanted to forget, but were forced to remember.

"You were hurt," Brennan said into the darkness. For once, it didn't occur to her to hide what she'd dreamed about. "Blood, gunshots," her shoulders moved up in a shrug, "you know, the usual."

"I'm here and alive," he said. Turning her head slightly he pressed her ear to his chest. "Listen to my heart, Bones. It beats for you."

"It beats for more than that, Booth," she argued. But stopped there, knowing she didn't need to explain the biology to him.

The blackness of the room cocooned them. His arms wrapped around her encased her further. At one point, it would have been too smothering for her to stand. Now, she couldn't imagine her life without this feeling.

"Until," she continued, feeling his fingers still in the center of her back. "Until I saved you."

"That doesn't usually happen," he whispered. It was a significant change from the dreams that usually haunted her. Dreams that frequently ended with his death. An event she usually couldn't prevent. From those dreams, her screams typically woke Booth.

"I know," she said. Her own voice was softer than his. "But you didn't die tonight. I fear losing you every day. Some days worse than others. A car accident almost took you away from me when we began. But tonight, I was enough."

"You are always enough," he reassured her. "You will always be enough." His hand began its progress up and down her back again. "Maybe this vacation has helped you worry a little less. Relieved a little of the stress that's been riding you. Maybe that's why you saved me in your dream tonight. But, Bones, you save me every single day. That's what you should be dreaming about."

Finally awake enough to realize that they were both naked, Booth wasn't sure what to do. There was no way to stop his body's reaction to her, but he wasn't sure whether or not she'd be interested in a repeat performance just yet. Dreams where he was hurt often left her shaken and upset. Sometimes, she left their bed, looking for a peace that eluded her.

The breath she blew out caused her entire body to shudder. "Can you just be with me, Booth?" Her voice was almost shy, despite the fact his desire for her was impossible to hide. "I just want to feel alive. You make me feel alive."

The request had barely left her lips when he rolled her. The feeling of being surrounded by him remained as he put his hands near her head to support his weight. More than ready for him, she widened her legs, arching as he entered her smoothly.

After the day in Athens their lovemaking had been frantic. A trail of clothes remained where they'd discarded them on the way to the bedroom, desperate to finish what they'd been fighting all day.

This moment, while not desperate, was no less intense. He moved slowly, listening to her quiet gasps, wishing he could see her face. But the darkness left him blind and he was forced to use his other senses to guide him.

Her hands came up to his forearms. Booth discovered he could tell how close she was by how tightly she gripped his arms. Several times he slowed, chuckling darkly at her whines of protest before picking up the pace again.

When she writhed beneath him, his name coming from her lips in a plea, Booth drove them both over the peak. This time, it was he who whispered her name, a sigh of contentment and joy at getting to spend this moment, this lifetime with her.

Despite the darkness, he was able to drop his forehead to hers. "I love you," he whispered.

After she whispered the sentiment back to him, Booth fell to her side, pulling her to him. Together, they drifted back off into sleep, their love enough to keep the nightmares at bay.

OoOoOo

It was hard to leave the hotel behind. It had been the experience of a lifetime and Booth turned back one more time before getting into the cab that would take them to the airport.

Their last day in Greece had been spent doing almost nothing, unless you counted each other. They'd talked and drank wine while they watched the boats. Naked swims in the pool were followed by naked moments in the bedroom or the shower. Their final day would be memorable, but not in a way they'd ever share with anyone else.

"Thank you, Bones," he said. She was standing beneath his arm, their position very similar to the day they'd arrived.

His fingers brushed her arm while he recalled all the other places of her body he'd touched. And realized that he'd touched them all. Even the ones that weren't on the surface.

Like her heart. As she'd touched his. It was romantic and too sappy to share with the pragmatic woman who stood at his side.

"There is nothing to thank me for," she protested, enjoying the feel of the kiss he pressed to the top of her head. "This was a trip for both of us. And now we'll go finish it up in one more spot."

"Are you going to tell me where we are going?" he asked, turning them to enter the cab. Yes, he could be sentimental at times. And knowing this trip was rapidly coming to an end was making him wish he could pause time again. But he'd let that foolish fantasy go and staring at a building was silly.

It wasn't the building that had made this trip so memorable. It was the woman next to him. And as long as she was at his side, Booth could find the magic they'd found in Greece every single day.

"Italy," she said simply when the cab started moving. "We are taking a short flight to Italy." Nothing more was offered and Booth didn't ask, trusting that she would tell this part of her story in her own time and her own way.

Her hand reached out to take his. "This was amazing," she said softly. "Thank you for coming with me when I didn't know what I wanted. Just that I wanted to run. Thank you for running with me."

"Where you go, I go," he said simply. He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Whether it's lunch at the diner or halfway around the world. His eyes watched out the window, taking in the last views he'd have of this place for a long time. Maybe the rest of his life. There were so many places to explore and he wanted to see them all with her.

"We should start planning our next trip," he announced suddenly. "I have a couple of places I wouldn't mind showing you."

That had her looking at him curiously. "I'm not sure we can visit some of the places you've been," she pointed out.

"Not overseas," he explained. "But Pops took Jared and I to some cool places. Maybe not as fancy as this place, but if you'd like to see them."

Not always sure if she was reading emotions correctly, Brennan sifted through his words and his tone of voice. "You say words that make me think you want to show me these places, but your voice indicates the opposite," she said, thinking out loud.

"It's just not fancy," he said again. "Pops didn't have a lot of money to take us places like this."

There hadn't been hotel rooms with two bedrooms and pools inside the room. A hotel with a pool had been a luxury they usually couldn't afford.

"Sharing a tent with someone comes with its own rewards, Booth. Especially if the area is private. Very private," she added, wanting her meaning to be clear. "I can't think of anything I'd like to do more with you. And we wouldn't have to wait until we had two weeks of vacation. We could disappear for a weekend."

The enthusiasm had grown in her voice and Booth smiled at her. "I'm sure we could find a private area." Her excitement chased away his fear of what she would think when they went to a campground and slept in a sleeping bag. And the thought of making love to her beneath a canopy of trees was a fantasy he could get behind.

"You aren't going to ask what's in Italy?" she asked, changing subjects in the same rapid fire way she tended to think.

He shrugged. "It's your story to tell. I want to know what's there, but you'll tell me when you're ready. I can wait."

Her eyes stared out the passenger window, but Booth felt her mood change slightly. Unsure of what she was thinking, he squeezed her hand, waiting until she finally looked back toward him. "We don't have to go," he offered. "If you want to change your mind or don't want to share it with me."

She appeared to be giving serious consideration to his words before shaking her head. The cab was pulling into the airport and she still hadn't spoken.

"What in Italy, Bones?" he finally asked, wondering if she needed the push in order to to share it with him. If she chose not to, his simple question wouldn't change her mind and Booth wouldn't ask a second.

"Italy," she said, releasing his hand to exit the cab, "is where I began."

OoOoOo

She didn't explain further during the flight to Italy, or the cab ride to their hotel. It was still early after they checked in. When she offered to show him what was important to her that afternoon, Booth immediately took her up on the offer.

"Pompeii?" Booth asked, swinging her hand between them. "I've always wanted to see this place."

Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "I first came here when I was a freshman in college," she offered. A slight tug to his hand had the two of them weaving down another street toward a less explored section of the city. "I participated on the excavation here. Part of it," she clarified, always needing to be accurate. "It still continues today."

Booth whistled softly. "As a freshman in college? Not that I'm surprised. You were probably more brilliant than the professors that were teaching you."

"True," she agreed, never modest about her intelligence. "But that wasn't why I was selected to come."

Looking down at her, Booth waited for the explanation he knew was coming.

"You aren't going to like part of this," she warned him. "Remember that this was years ago and you didn't know me then."

His sigh was felt as well as heard. "Did someone hurt you here, Bones?" he asked, wanting to prepare himself if that was the case. He knew enough about her past that this wasn't outside the realm of possibility.

"No," she replied quickly. "Nothing like that. I had a lot of scholarships to pay for college because there was no one else to pay it for me. It wasn't like my parents left me anything when they left. The house went back to the bank and everything inside," she paused, "well going with what usually happens, the contents were most likely auctioned. None of that money came to me either."

"I know that part, Bones. You aged out of the system and put yourself through college."

How it pissed him off that she'd been left on her own like that. She was strong yet vulnerable and that must have been a very difficult time for her.

"Then you understand how scholarships work?" she asked. "That money only paid for school and everything that came with it. While school was in session. There were times, a week or two here or there, that the dorms closed between semesters and the cafeterias were closed and I didn't have a lot of options."

The stone beneath their feet required them to walk slowly. Even at that pace, they'd drifted away from the main areas tourists tended to frequent, ending up virtually alone.

"What did you do?" he asked suspiciously. Taken in by her story, he wasn't paying much attention to their surroundings. Which was a shame. The volcano towered over them and he walked where people had once been centuries ago and the only thing he cared about at that moment was the woman at his side. "You didn't sneak on an airplane or something, did you?"

It wasn't totally impossible, security had been a lot different then. But he couldn't see her breaking the law and flying to Italy.

"No airplane," she said with a laugh. "Living in my car might have been an option, if I had one at the time."

"Jesus, Bones," he said, jumping to conclusions, "don't even tell me you lived on the streets. At least tell me you went to a shelter or someplace a little safer."

She was gorgeous and smart and very much alone as a freshman in college. Booth could imagine a thousand ways she could have been hurt and was sure there were many more that didn't occur to him.

He'd always had a place to go home to. After Pops had taken him in, he never worried about having a roof over his head or a warm meal to eat. Not at that age. Unable to change her past, he just shook his head at the broken system that failed so many.

"I considered it," she said honestly. "I tried to find a job but there weren't a lot available and most already taken by students. I had a little bit of money I'd managed to tuck away, enough to get me some food. A place to sleep was a little harder."

Her voice was calm, a contrast to whatever emotion coursed through his veins. There were so many, Booth couldn't recognize all of them. When he knew he had to do more than touch her hand before he exploded, Booth pushed her into one of the open buildings that had been cleaned. Looking around to make sure it was empty, he backed her into a wall before kissing her soundly.

When they broke apart, she patted his cheek. "Quit worrying so much and let me finish. It is nothing like whatever it is you keep picturing in your head. I didn't sleep in my nonexistent car and I didn't spend any nights sleeping outside, I promise."

"Okay," he said. It was cooler in the interior of the building. Closing his eyes, Booth inhaled sharply and blew the breath back out. "You knew I'd react like this."

"You like to keep me safe from the world. Or pretend you can. That doesn't change even if what I tell you happened a long time ago."

Her easy acceptance of his need to protect her settled something inside of him.

"You know me too well," he grumbled. "So if you didn't sleep in a car, or on the streets and didn't hop a flight to Italy, how did you end up here?" He waved a hand around them, indicating the ancient city.

"There are good people out there, even if we don't always see them in our line of work. A professor was bringing a group of students here. I questioned him about the class and what they hoped to accomplish. And about the cost. Unfortunately my scholarship didn't cover study abroad, especially between semesters, so I had to be happy with the discussions I had with him. In addition, it wasn't exactly in my major at the time, so my inclusion on the trip was impossible for me to attain."

"Big words, Bones. So you couldn't go because you didn't have the money and what you were studying made you ineligible?"

Her head tilted as she looked up at him. "Isn't that what I said? But one day, after class, that same professor asked me to stay and handed me an envelope. He claimed that a spot had opened up for the trip and would I be interested in applying? Some sort of grant from an anonymous benefactor he claimed."

Booth smiled warmly. She didn't believe in fate, or miracles, but Booth knew that was the perfect explanation. "You know his name? I might need to send him a thank you note."

"Of course I know it." Grabbing his hand, she pulled him from the building they'd ducked into. "And you know I do. I won that scholarship," she said, though it was clear from her voice that she understood what had happened. "And every one after that offered by that same professor. Whenever the dorms closed, I had a place to go."

Both blinked hard when they stepped back into the sunlight. "They were very kind to me," she said softly. "His wife served me dinner several times, when I wasn't too proud or too uncomfortable to accept the offer. It was hard to let people in at that point." Her smile was soft and tinged with sadness. "They are both gone now. I think he saw me as a daughter. Perhaps his wife as well. They'd never had any children."

"I don't think you began here, Bones. But this place and all the rest you visited, sharpened you into who you'd become. The woman who stole my heart inside a lecture hall when she didn't even know my name."

"Are you interested in seeing more of this place?" Brennan asked, guiding them back to the busier section of the city. "The techniques they've used to preserve victims and the mosaics they've uncovered are fascinating to see."

"Show me what you want. I'll follow you anywhere, Bones."

OoOoOo

It was raining when they left. The perfect string of days that had stayed with them the entire trip ended the morning the plane flew out of Italy.

"You ready?" she asked, accepting a drink from the attendant. They were in first class seating and Booth wasn't sure he'd ever be able to sit in coach again.

"To go home?" he asked, sipping his own drink. "A few days ago I didn't think I'd ever be ready. But I miss Parker and my bed. I miss knowing where the furniture is when it's too dark to see." He rubbed at his shin. The previous evening, he'd kicked a chair in the middle of the night when he risen to use the bathroom.

Brennan tipped her head back until it bumped into the seat behind her. "I agree. I miss Parker as well. And the Lab. It's my home when I can't be with you." Her head rolled toward him. "But I much prefer being with you."

"Good to know." He picked up her hand and kissed her fingers. "What do you think our desks look like?" he groaned. The pile of paperwork would be overwhelming, of that he had no doubt.

"I'm more worried about the emails I haven't looked at. And I'm sure they'll be a case waiting for our expertise or an agent that needs to consult with you. Probably means a couple of late nights next week." Her brows came down in annoyance at the thought.

"No," Booth said immediately. He sat forward and turned to better see her face. "We aren't doing that again. We aren't…we aren't letting work take us over again. I won't let it." The declaration was harsh and though he'd tried to control the volume, Booth knew he'd been louder than he intended to be.

But it wasn't happening again. She wasn't turning away from him in the dark and he wasn't sitting on balconies in foreign countries refusing to tell her what was going on. Never again.

Nodding her agreement, Brennan asked, "So what do you suggest? Because sometimes there won't be anything we can do about it."

He waved his hand. "Cases I get. Those are different. But emails, paperwork, we aren't wasting what little time we get together on things that can wait. Not anymore." He turned back to settle in his seat. "If we both agree not to let it happen, then it won't. I trust the two of us to figure it out as we go."

When he turned, his eyes focused on hers. "No repeats, Bones. No getting so lost we can't find each other. Figuratively," he added when she opened her mouth. "Agreed?"

His eyes were warm with love and a fierce protectiveness of what he saw as theirs. "Fifty years isn't enough, Bones. And I want all the minutes I can get with you."

"Agreed," she said. It was a promise she might have trouble keeping at times, as would he, but they'd have each other to remind them. "Booth?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go home.

OoOoOo

"Dr. Brennan," a voice called from behind her.

She wanted to pretend she hadn't heard. But it would be rude even for her, so Brennan stopped and turned slowly, giving herself time to school her face into a neutral expression.

"Director Cullen," she greeted smoothly. "Is there something I can do for you?"

They'd been back to work six weeks. Their promise to not let work interfere with their personal lives wasn't always easy to keep, especially for two people as driven as they were, but they worked on it.

Every day. Sometimes several times a day. Through heated phone calls and angry emails. Days when work seemed like the most important thing in the world. Until a reminder tucked between those angry words, or a voice filled with love despite the frustration reminded each of them that there were more important things.

But this, despite her warning to Booth, was one conversation she'd avoided. Because she couldn't figure out how to let Cullen know her feelings without revealing too much of what Booth had admitted to her.

There were lines she wouldn't cross. Breaking Booth's trust was one of them.

Managing to avoid the Hoover until today, Brennan had made a quick stop to drop off the evidence Booth had requested. She'd tried to make her presence unknown. It was clear she'd been less than successful.

Cullen stopped in front of her and studied her. Not sure what he read on her face, he motioned her into an empty conference room and closed the door. Casually, he sat on the edge of the table.

Silence worked on most, but not on the scientist and her partner. If Cullen wanted her to talk to him, he was going to have to start.

"Booth warned me you might come see me," he said bluntly. "I'll admit I've been waiting for your visit, but six weeks have passed and nothing. I find it hard to believe he was wrong, so I'm left wondering what you won't say to me."

She'd never been anything but honest with him. The fact that Booth thought she would come, then be wrong about it, sent up warning flags Cullen couldn't ignore.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Brennan tapped her foot. It was the only outward sign that she might be anything but rational. "Why did you send Booth to me that night of the interrogation?" she asked finally. It gave nothing away but would allow her to answer a few questions of her own.

Cullen narrowed his eyes and Brennan wondered if the simple question had revealed more than she thought it would. It would do her good to remember that this man had also been an agent and an excellent interrogator in his own day. Questions would reveal as much as answers.

"He was upset. It had been a long case. He needed a break. Nothing like the woman you love to give you what you need at that moment." Not used to explaining himself to anyone, Cullen's words were sharp.

The answer had the sound of experience behind it. Brennan simply nodded her head. "Booth wasn't wrong. I had considered coming to see you. But I no longer feel the need to do so."

Sure, Director Cullen could have called her. But Booth also could have shared it with her long before he chose to. To say anything at all would indicate Booth had been more than upset with the case. His boss didn't need to know he'd struggled to move past that final interrogation.

He wondered why she'd changed her mind, but knew she wouldn't offer an answer. "Is Agent Booth okay, Dr. Brennan?" he asked. Had he missed something that night? The scene played over in his head, but he couldn't recall anything that raised alarm bells. Perhaps he'd pull the tape later and see if there was something he'd missed.

If something had upset one half of the best team he'd ever be blessed to be in charge of, it would be to his benefit to know what that was so it didn't happen again.

Brennan didn't miss the calculating look in his eyes. She'd seen the same look in Booth's eyes when he was trying to figure something out. But Cullen wouldn't get the truth from her. "He just returned from a vacation in Europe," she answered. Literal often worked well to avoid the question. "Why wouldn't he be?"

Cullen managed to bite back the laugh. Barely. He should have known better. "I'm glad to hear everything is okay with you two." Definitely time to watch that interrogation a second time. But he had a sinking feeling that the answer to his questions wouldn't be found there either. It seemed he would not have an answer to this mystery. "I'll let you get back to work."

"Have a nice afternoon," Brennan offered. She watched him walk out the door, only to have Booth come in behind him and close it again.

"Seriously?" Brennan complained. "If you want me to be done at a normal hour, you have to let me get back to the Jeffersonian."

"What did he want?" Booth demanded. Brennan bristled and bit down the words that first popped into her head. Booth read the look in her eyes easily and forced himself to breathe. He'd questioned whether or not she could keep his secrets, and it annoyed her. "Never mind that," he said. "You wouldn't have told him anything I didn't want you to share. Are we good?"

"We just got back from a vacation in Europe. Why wouldn't we be?"

Booth had been standing near the door at that point and had heard those words already. They'd implied that Cullen had nothing to worry about. In her own way, she was telling Booth the same thing. "I trust you, Bones. Sorry," he apologized. But he'd feared just for a second that Cullen would walk out that door and demand explanations Booth didn't want to give.

She should have been angry that he'd thought she'd give his secrets away. But he was private and in the past, she'd made mistakes on what was okay to share and what wasn't.

Brennan had no intention of making those mistakes anymore.

"I wanted to be completely honest with him," Brennan admitted. "Had been thinking about what I would say since the day we landed back home. Then I realized I didn't want to say anything at all. That I couldn't without revealing what had taken place. And that, Booth, is yours to tell. Not mine."

He stepped into her space. "I want to kiss you right now," Booth said. "Thank you. I love you."

"There is nothing to thank me for. And I love you too. Now if you let me go back to work, I'll be done early and we'll have time to talk."

Booth narrowed his eyes. "Talk about what?"

"Where you're taking me on my next vacation."

_The End - thanks for reading._


End file.
